


Cold Case

by Tsubaki94



Series: The Pro's and Con's of being Danny Phantom [12]
Category: Criminal Minds, Danny Phantom
Genre: Blood, Freezing, Gen, Ghost Zone, Injury, Jail, Memory Loss, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-02-01 23:21:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 78,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12714900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsubaki94/pseuds/Tsubaki94
Summary: There was blood on his hands, yet Danny had no idea how it got there nor why people was shouting at him. Danny is lead out of the school by the officers and soon finds himself helping the BAU from the inside of a jail cell.





	1. Prolog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman

Shouting, people talking. Someone was saying his name, ”Mr Fenton, Fenton, Daniel!” Danny backed away from the limp form on the floor, rubbing at his aching head. Everything was too loud, his fight with Skulker had left its bruises on him, his fists hurt from punching the ghost out to trap him in the thermos.

There were people moving around him, talking in hurried voices. Too loud. If he only hadn’t had the migraine again he would have been able to concentrate on what was happening around him, but his moms insistence to know where he was at all times, to know if he was skipping class had forced him to duplicate himself and that always brought on the headaches.

Licking his dry lips Danny got the salty irony taste of blood in his mouth. From the fight, he thought pulling down his hands to try and focus on what was happening in the here and now. A scruffy looking man stared down on him sharp eye’s following his hands as he let them fall to his side. Danny knew this man, he wore a uniform, a sheriff’s uniform. The memories of a collapsing building and charged ecto-guns pointed at his face flashed in to Danny’s mind, much easier than the present.

The sheriff was talking, Danny showed his teeth’s in an angry reply, he didn’t know what was being said he just didn’t like the man standing so close to him, invading his personal space. The man gripped Danny’s wrist and held up his hand in front of him, his mouth moved. Frowning at his words Danny stared at his hand, the knuckles were bruised and cut, there was blood on them.

His mouth suddenly dry Danny licked his lips again, so many tastes mingled with the one of the blood on his lips. What was going on? What was happening? He wore gloves fighting Skulker, the most damage he should see on his fist were the bruises not any cuts and not any blood.

“Do you hear me Fenton.” Said Officer Grayson getting a nod from Danny. The sounds around him was clearing, he could hear what sounded like Mr Lancer standing somewhere behind the officer. Other voices he didn’t recognize accompanied him, sirens had been wailing but they were quiet now. “Mac Cuff him.” Said Grayson turning to a much younger man standing beside Danny.

Jerking his hands out of Grayson’s grip at his words Danny growled. “Kid relax you need to come with us to the station.” Said the other guy Mac, taking out a pair of handcuffs from a pouch on his belt. He reached for Danny’s wrists. Danny jerked his hand away from him and took another step back bumping in to the broken remains of a desk.

“Fenton, don’t make this difficult alright. Come with us peacefully and things don’t have to get uglier.” Said Grayson reaching for a pocket on his belt bringing out a pair of handcuffs, the polished metal shining like Skulker’s armor. It had broken under Danny’s ecto-enhanced punches, hadn’t the guy been coated in metal he could have beaten him without enhancing his own strength.

Closing his eye’s for a moment Danny forced down his emotions, pushed back the memories flashing through his thoughts and callused hard fingers gripped his left wrist. Biting his lower lip Danny stayed still pushing back his instinct to run away. The metal cuff encircled his wrist and Danny jerked back his hand slipping in to intangibility and out of the cuff.

“What the!” Grayson took Danny’s other hand. Opening his eye’s Danny stared down on his hand forcing it to become solid once more, feeling his heart speed up as Grayson put the cuff on his other hand then once more on the left. “Alright, come with us.” Grayson gripped Danny’s biceps and made him walk in the direction he wanted.

The man stepping to the side gave Danny a clearer view of the green clad paramedics lifting the limp and bloody form of Dash. Cold numbness settled over Danny and he walked wherever the officer pointed him. He couldn’t hear the other students talking, the words reached his ears but never registered in his brain, none of what they were saying was relevant.

 

Penelope walked past her friends and colleagues, high heels striking the floor in a hurry to reach Emily Prentiss office. Knocking on the door she stepped in. “You need to see this.” She said closing the door before Prentiss could stop her.

“What is it I need to see?” Asked Prentiss looking up from a file on her desk that had been filling her mind the last hour.

Garcia tapped on her iPad and put it on the desk in front of Prentiss. “One of my watch programs caught this a few minutes ago.” Said Garcia sounding a bit anxious.

Looking down on the iPad Prentiss recognized the PDF file as a police report. “A fight between two teenagers that ended with one of them in the hospital.” She said. “Have we’ve been asked to investigate this?” Prentiss looked up to get an annoyed look from Garcia.

Leaning forward Garcia zoomed in on the report. “Read the name.”

Sighing, feeling way too tired after only half a day of work Prentiss read the name out loud. “Daniel, Jeremy, Fenton.” Something in the back of her caffeine deprived mind started working and Prentiss zoomed out to see where the police report was from. “Amity Park?” She looked up at Garcia, what she knew of Danny Fenton was that he wouldn’t hurt anyone if not in self-defense and then not even bad enough to have someone sent to the hospital.

“It doesn’t sound like him right. I mean why would he beat up his own classmate?” Garcia’s finger swiped on the screen. “His fists were bruised and there was blood on his hands and shirt but other than that he was unharmed.”

“We can’t do anything to investigate this, I’m sure Danny’s got his reasons.” Sighed Prentiss however much she and the BAU owed the kid personally they couldn’t do anything to help him out of the mess he made.

“I know but maybe he can help us, remember the Raithshore case we got last weekend, that we can’t get access to investigate.” She pointed at the report in front of them. “He can help us and we can help him, I refuse to believe he don’t have a good reason for all of this and if nothing else we owe him for the help he’s given us”

Prentiss stared down on the report, then pulled out another from a pile on her desk. Opening it she read the fine prints and sighed. Garcia had a point, Danny could be of help to them, but there were many questions that needed to be answered and quick. “Alright I’ll clear things with the higher-ups. Get J.J. and Luke in to the conference room, Walker and Rossi can stay on Reed’s case, and contact Mrs Song, tell her we are taking the case.”

 “Yes right away.” Said Garcia taking her iPad, leaving Prentiss alone in her office to make the necessary calls that might send an innocent boy to jail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really do prologs but this one needed it. I honestly didn’t think it was going to be a long story but right now it is longer than Life’s Trail. Things are going to get a lot more interesting from here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Officer Grayson can clearly remember every time he’s met the young Fenton, how odd the kid had seemed to him, not acting like a normal teenager his size.

Grayson stared at the mirrored glass, he had a clear line of sight in to the interrogation-room from his desk. He could see the raven haired boy sit by the table inside staring down at his hands as the medic looked them over. Dr Scot had worked with the police before and with Daniel as well, she talked to him but he didn’t answer.

Watching Grayson saw the woman let go of Daniel’s hands and he pulled them towards himself but the chain holding his hand’s cuffed to the table stopped him from getting them over the tables edge. He could see Scot say something to Danny before she walked out of the room and came over to Grayson. “Don’t leave that boy alone in there.” Was the first thing she told him.

Raising an eyebrow at the woman Grayson gave her a questioning look. “And why is that?”

“He hasn’t said a word the whole time I was in there and look at his arms.” Said Scot annoyance flaring in her eyes.

They had taken the boys shirt as part of evidence and after pictures had been taken of the bloodstains on his hands and face had they allowed him to wash off. The t-shirt he had worn under his shirt was white and red and did nothing to cover his forearms. Where, on the inside of his arms, thin white scars tracked up from his wrist to the crock of his elbow. Grayson had seen many young teenagers and adults with the same marks tracing up their arms and knew what they meant.

Nodding to Scot Grayson got up from his comfortable seat behind his desk and finished of his coffee. “Alright, anything else?” he asked.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d say the same as last time, do you know when his parents will arrive?”

Sighing Grayson shook his head. “No, we’ve been calling but it all goes to voicemail. Thank you for your help.” Picking up a file Grayson turned to the interrogation room.

Entering the room, he made a show of closing the door behind him, pulling out the chair and slapping the file down on the table, before sitting down. Normally he would have gotten a reaction from whoever sat in the other chair but Danny didn’t as much as sigh.

There was something odd about this kid, thought Grayson. He had noticed it the first time they met, it had been an incident similar to the one that had brought the kid to this place today. A fight between him and Casper High’s football star Dash Baxter, that had ended with Baxter being taken to the hospital. Danny’s teacher had brought the boy to his office and only left long enough to get Grayson when he arrived.

At first the boy had been sitting bent over, head between his knees, breathing slow and deliberate, his shoulders shaking every time he inhaled. Grayson had asked him questions but the only answer he got was the kid shaking his head and breathing faster. Scot had been there as well, she had said the kid had a panic attack and helped him.

The moment the kid had come out of his panic attack, Scot had started asking questions and the boy had responded with words. When the teacher had asked Danny what had happen Grayson had seen the boy’s face go pale, emotions contorting his young face. He had thought that the boy wouldn’t talk but he had taken a deep breath and all emotions seamed to disappear from him, leaving him looking like he did right now.

Empty and tired, a ghost of the emotional teenager from a moment before. At one point when he told them of what had happened had the boys eyes gone hard as anger made his mouth twist in to a snarl. But he had calmed himself showing more self-control than a lot of young teenagers his age.

The kid had been injured at that time, a wound to his right leg and one on his abdomen, Grayson could still remember the explanation Danny had given, “A whack job took a couple of stabs at me in Chicago.” Grayson had thought the kid was joking and seeing him move on the security tapes later he’d wondered what sort of pain threshold he had or if the injuries had really been that bad.

He’d taken the kid home, talked to his parents, the infamous Fenton’s and things were dropped, the Baxters hadn’t pressed charges. Grayson had asked Danny when he was driving him home why the kid never reported the bullying, he thought the bullies had threatened to hurt him more if he didn’t keep quiet but the answer he’d gotten was different. Danny would rather be the one the bullies picked on than let others get hurt, he’d said something about Dash playing football and him playing chess. Whatever that meant

Grayson was sure he wouldn’t see the kid again, he didn’t seem like the type to start fights. He had been surprised to find the same blue eyes looking out from under a table in a tent the police and FBI was using as a base of operations during a hostage situation in a small mall that was no longer standing. Grayson had tried to get the boy out, keeping it low so as not to get him in to any trouble.

Scot had said the kid was a fighter and the security tape in school had shown it. Grayson should have known that he couldn’t just grab the boy and escort him out, he’d managed to get a hold around his small form and the kid had screamed, making Grayson drop him at once. The FBI agents had taken charged of him after that and Grayson could remember seeing him sit at their table and talk to them, getting more information than even him.

Then the building had exploded. People had run out as the ceiling fell, ice slowing the collapse long enough to give people a chance at escape. He’d seen the boy and his friend come out through a side entrance, they had turned around and backed up as the building fell behind them. Then Danny had whipped around and raised his arm in time to take a blast from the governments white clad ghost hunters on a shield.

The moments that followed that had been intense, the GIW had insisted that the kid and his friends were ghosts and the kid had kept his head. He’d shown that what the agent’s devices were detecting had been wrong and the agents had left without a word of apology. Leaving the exhausted teenagers to joke about something that didn’t seem funny to Grayson.

There was one thing about that day that bothered Grayson and after the silence in the interrogation room dragged out he decided to ask the kid. “Remember the mall that blew up right before Christmas?” Danny nodded, his head still lowered as he tried to rest his back against the chair but his cuffed hands at the table prevented him from leaning back all the way. “How did you end up running out of the mall when I saw you in the tent hours earlier?”

Shrugging Danny leaned forward and rested his forehead on his hands, the tiredness evident in his posture. At least the kid was answering him, thought Grayson, instead of the monotone headshake he’d gotten the first time, or the snarls he’d given them when they tried to take him from the school.

Having a feeling of dejavu, Grayson and his partner Mac had gotten called to the school, a teacher had reported a fight between two of the students. They had arrived shortly after the ambulance, a teacher showing them to where Danny was.

He’d thought it a bit odd seeing the teenager still in the classroom where the fight had taken place. There were broken benches and chairs, the teacher Mr Lancer had been holding the snarling and fighting teenager back as the EMT’s helped the larger boy who at that point was unconscious. They had gone over to Mr Lancer and tried talking to the angry teenager.

Danny had elbowed the teacher and pulled out of his grip backing away from them pressing his bloody hands against his head. When Grayson tried talking to the kid he’d gotten a snarled “Bugger of.” And a glimpse the sharp teeth’s that seemed unnatural in his otherwise soft face.

Grayson had taken the kid by the arm and told him that it didn’t look good for him, that if he kept resisting they were going to have to bring him down to the station. They were going to bring him in anyways but making him look at his bloody hands had gotten the kid to stop fighting.

Asking Mac to cuff the kid had drawn a deep growl from Danny, he’d jerked his hand out of Grayson’s hand and taken another step back as Mac tried to cuff him. The kid was still going to fight them, thought Grayson telling Daniel to cooperate before things got ugly, taking out his own cuffs as he did. Danny’s eyes had caught on the gleaming metal of the cuffs and Grayson had seen him close his eyes and calm down, that same emotional control as he’d had the last time they came to school.

Taking Danny’s wrist Grayson had noticed how cold the kid was, then he put the cuff on making the teenager jerk and slip out of the cuff. Grayson put it down to the slippery blood still on the kid’s hands and tightened the cuffs a bit. His wrists were thin and Grayson could see the scars from the burn he’d gotten during the mall incident.

As they walked Danny out of the classroom, he’d noticed the kids expression going distant, his eyes locked on his feet’s as he walked. Grayson wondered if he could hear the things that were being said by the other students. “Is that Fenton?” “Look at his hand’s is that blood?” “They say he beat up Dash.” “That twig no way.” “Danny wouldn’t beat anyone up, just shut up.” “Man…” “Knew he was a freak.” “Have you seen him in gym he can only run away fighting would mean broken bones for him.” Rumors, thought Grayson, they needed to investigate the rumors about the kid but as it looked right now Daniel might be seeing the inside of a cell for some time.

Checking his watch, Grayson got up, taking the file with him he walked out of the interrogation room and over to his desk where he picked up his phone again and dialed the number he’d been given by the school. Watching the kid through the mirrored glass Grayson got the Fenton voicemail again, he talked in a message and hung up the phone before returning to the interrogation room once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the trip down memory lane, I know Boiling Point isn’t the best of my stories but it has some weight on this one.


	3. Chapter 3

Five hours after Garcia had brought the report to Prentiss desk did she step in to the old police station in Amity Park. It was like most stations, crowded, a waiting area, a secretary desk and a long line of people wanting to talk to the police. She looked over her shoulder at the woman beside her and got a nod, they were doing this.

Waiting for the man talking to the secretary to finish Prentiss walked ahead of the line, flashed her badge and asked where she could find an officer Grayson. The secretary gave her quick directions and Prentiss thanked her for her help before she and her companion walked in to an elevator and rode it up to the third floor.

The elevator doors opened to the real heart of the station, the bullpen, where the officers lived and breathed the smell of burnt coffee and dry reports needing to be filled out. Walking up to a uniformed officer she asked for Grayson and saw out of the corner of her eye how a man lifted his head a phone held against his ear. “That’s him right there ma’am.” Answered the officer pointing at the man with the phone.

“Thank You.” Said Prentiss walking through the sea of desks to reach the officer. “You officer Martin Grayson?” she asked getting a nod from the man who held up his finger listening to whatever was being said on the other end of the phone.

He let out a sigh and hung up without a word. “Yes I’m Grayson how can I help you?” he looked tired, shadows under his eyes spoke of too little sleep, but the crisp well pressed uniform spoke to the man’s discipline. He raised an eyebrow at Prentiss and she saw recognition in those tired eyes. “Aren’t you that FBI agent that was bossing my boss around before Christmas?” he asked.

“That could be me, SSI Emily Prentiss, FBI this is Rebeca Song juvenile defense attorney.” Grayson shook their hands. “We are looking for a teenager named Daniel Fenton, the report said you were the one who brought him in?”

The man’s lips pressed in to a hard line and his eye’s went over Prentiss taking in her black pantsuit, her white blouse, her equally tired eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw. “What do you want with the kid?” asked Grayson his eyes flicking to the side and Prentiss turned to look at what had the man’s attention.

She recognized the mirror glass to an interview room at once and saw a young man sit inside his black haired head resting on the table in front of him. “We simply want to talk to him about an incident that happened a few month ago in Chicago.” Explained Prentiss, it wasn’t the real reason they were there but it would get them access to the kid faster.

Recognition sparked in the man’s eyes and he tilted his head a bit to watch Prentiss. “This got something to do with a whack job who took a few stabs at the kid back in November?” He asked.

Wondering how much the man knew of the incident Prentiss nodded. “That’s a crude explanation but in short yes.”

The man nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Can’t let anyone talk to the kid officially without his parents or guardian present, you’ll have to wait for them to arrive.” That was odd, Prentiss would have imagen Danny’s parents to be with him, he’d been in the station for over five hours and the officer hadn’t been able to question the boy yet. Thou remembering Chicago it wasn’t unheard of for the kid’s parents not to pick up their phone, he’d been with them for a whole day and his parents hadn’t returned the call Jareau had made.

“That’s why I am here.” Said Song, she was a short woman of Asian descent, with sharp brown eye’s behind clear spectacles. Like Prentiss she wore a pants suite and had pulled up her black hair in a tight bun on the back of her head held in place with two hairpins. “I’ll make sure that things goes according to the rules, is that the boy in there.” Song had seen the man’s flickering eyes too and could see Danny in the interrogation room. Grayson nodded. “How long has he been in there?”

“Five hours, he won’t speak so knock yourself out.” Grayson shot another glance in the direction of the interrogation room. “I’ll have to track down his parents.”

Nodding Prentiss turned to Song. “You go ahead I’ll be with you in just a moment.” They parted and Prentiss saw the woman walk in to the small room with Danny. Prentiss on her end followed her nose and found the small kitchen in the station, the smell of burnt coffee was stronger in there. She found a pot of dark coffee and giving it a sniff she poured it in to a white mug.

Walking out of the kitchen Prentiss made her way over to the interrogation room and opened the door. “Can you tell me your name at least.” Asked Song sitting opposite of Danny. The boy hadn’t moved, his arms were resting on the table, his head on his hands, the black tousle of hair covering his face and the cuffs around his wrists. When Prentiss came in the woman looked up at her with a defeated sigh. “He won’t talk.” She said.

Giving the woman a small smile Prentiss put the mug on the table in front of Danny and sat down. Song gave Prentiss a questioning look but the woman put a finger to her lips and pointed to the coffee mug. It didn’t take long for the thin hands to move out from under the black hair and curl around the mug, Prentiss saw band aids cover his knuckles and purple bruises bloom out from under them.

Pulling the mug towards him, Danny straightened leaning back in his seat until the chains around his hands stopped him from moving back and still have the mug close to himself. “Hi, It’s been a while.” Said Prentiss watching the boy lift his face. Dull ice blue eyes stared at her from under his long bangs, his face was an expressionless mask but Prentiss saw the red rims around his eye’s almost hidden by the dark shadows of sleep deprivation.

A corner of his mouth twitched and he leaned forward taking a mouthful of the hot coffee. Danny made a face and spat the coffee back in to the mug. “Figured they’d at least make some good coffee here.” He sighed and looked back at Prentiss. “Hi.” He said the hands curling possessively around the mug of bad coffee. “What brings you here?” His eye’s darted to the mirror glass that only showed them their own reflection from inside the brightly light room. “I doubt it has anything to do with Jack the Ripper.”

“It doesn’t.” Answered Prentiss getting a confused look from Song. “Did you hear what Rebeca was telling you before?” She asked.

“The same, I have the right to be quiet speech Grayson said in the car.” Danny nodded. “Heard it.” His eyes darted to Song taking in her appearance, Prentiss did the same to him. Danny looked much like she remembered him, thin with wiry muscles, sloping shoulders that gave the impression of submission. A square jaw, round cheeks, pale skin, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and dark circles under his eyes that spoke of to many nights without sleep. If Prentiss didn’t know better she would have guessed Danny stayed up to many nights playing videogames. But she knew better and could see the tension in his shoulders, the quick glances he shot at the window and she heard the impatient tapping of his foot on the floor.

It was clear as day that Danny wanted out of the room, he wanted to move about but the chains on his wrists tying him to the table prevented him from doing so. “Where are your parents, it looks like the police hasn’t gotten a hold of them yet?” Asked Prentiss.

Shrugging Danny glanced at the mirror glass. “Think they are still at the bottom of the lake, dad was insisting on checking out this diver ghost, mom thought it could bring some interesting information if they managed to capture it and do some research. Can’t tell when they’ll be back.” He said it in the carefree kind of way that told Prentiss that this was normal even if it sounded absurd.

His eyes turned back to his coffee and he fell quiet once more. “We can’t tell you why we are here yet, we need you to tell us what happened then we might ask you to help us, do you understand.”

Leaning forward and bringing the mug to his lips Danny seemed to think about what Prentiss had just said. “You might want my help but it depends on what I say happened.” He said glancing up at Prentiss. “You guys said you didn’t want me to get involved with your investigations again. What brings this change?”

Sighing Prentiss pulled up a file from her shoulder bag. “Depends on your answer. Tell us why you beat your classmate in to a coma.”

Prentiss hadn’t thought her words were hard but Danny flinched as if she’d slapped him. He pulled back his shoulders hunched up. “Don’t know.” Was his answer, Prentiss could see him biting his lower lip.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” She asked confused by the boys reaction and answer.

“I don’t know.” Sighed Danny his hands tightening around the mug in his hands.

“The report said you were standing over your classmate beating him, your teacher had to fight to get you off.” Said Song in a mild voice, nothing judging about it. Danny shrugged and Prentiss saw him draw back in to himself.

“Why did you beat up Dash Baxter?” She asked straight to the point.

A sudden flash of green shown in Danny’s eyes as he growled in a much deeper voice than his own. “I DON’T KNOW.” The sound of ceramic breaking and hot coffee spilling over his hands made them all jump back. Danny had broken the mug, sharp pieces were still clutched in his fists. “Crap sorry.” He said sounding like himself again, letting go of the pieces that were cutting in to his palms.

“It’s alright.” Said Prentiss calmly. She left the room for a second and came back with a roll of paper-towels. She and Song cleaned up the spilt coffee and pieces of ceramic as Danny slowly sat back down his eyes on his hands and the new small bleeding cuts there. “Here.” Said Prentiss and carefully took Danny’s hands in hers drying of the coffee and blood. His hands were cold and she could feel him shaking.

“I have no idea of what happened in school today.” He finally said looking up at Prentiss his tired eyes pleading.

Meeting Danny’s gaze Prentiss nodded giving his hands a light squeeze. “Tell us what you do know.” She said sitting back down letting go of Danny.

He sighed leaned his head forward to rest on the metal surface of the table. “Todays Wednesday, had a double period of Cem in the morning, me and Valeri managed to blow up our experiment.” Danny lifted his head and let his jaw rest on the table, a small grin on his face. “Told the teacher ectoplasm was highly explosive but he still insisted we determined at what temperature it started to boil. He thought it be a fun experiment considering how often the students encounter that stuff.” There was a dry humor in Danny’s voice.

“After that was Geography, our history teacher managed to butt in on Mrs Green’s territory so now we are studying how the countries have changed throughout the ages. I might have fallen asleep during that class, at least I’d like to have done that, then this would all just be a bad dream.” His eyes fell and he rubbed a spot between his eyebrows and his stomach growled loudly.

“Missed lunch. Tucker and Sam went ahead to take our seats, Dash…” He stared in to the distance watching something play behind his eyes. “Went to the bathroom, Dash grabbed me by the neck and pulled me in to the… Biology classroom?” He paused again. “We were meeting at the library later… driving…” Shaking his head Danny pushed his hair back from his face his nails scraping along his scalp. “Can’t remember the rest.” He said. “Next thing I know people are shouting and it’s noisy, my headache was making the lights hurt my eyes, still is.” He glared up at the strong lamp above the table.

“You don’t remember hitting your teacher or being handcuffed by the police?” asked Prentiss worried, she didn’t know what to make of his story.

“What teacher?” asked Danny looking over at Prentiss a slightly confused look in his eyes.

“A Mr Lancer.” Said Prentiss. “You don’t remember that, do you remember anything before getting in the police car?”

“Remember them cuffing me and… I saw Dash.” His face went pale and he looked sick. “I couldn’t have hurt him. I wouldn’t.” She saw a shiver go through him and he pulled himself as close together as he could.

“Has this ever happened before?” Asked Song a worried note in her voice.

It took Danny a moment before he answered his face distant once more. “Fighting with Dash or missing memories?” he asked.

“Both.” Said Song.

Prentiss watched as Danny nodded. “We had a fight November seventh. I lost my temper.” He sighed.

Something about that date rang a bell in the back of Prentiss mind. “That’s two days after we said good bye in Chicago.” She said getting a nod from Danny. “Weren’t you still injured?” he nodded again. “What happened?”

Taking a deep breath Danny looked in to Prentiss eyes. “I had enough of Dash beating me, I was stupid and hit back, it only angered him. Our teacher stopped the fight before anyone of us did something we would regret. Dash got bruised ribs as thanks for the beating, I” the corner of his mouth turned down. “Had the stiches torn open.” Prentiss remembered the injuries, remembered how he had turned the cursed sword on himself and sank it in to his thigh.

“That was the only time the two of you fought?” asked Song.

Shrugging Danny glanced over at her. “That’s the only time I fought back.” He corrected her steely honesty in his voice.

“How about the other time you can’t remember?” asked Prentiss, she watched Danny pick at his nails.

“The mall bombing.” He said. “I don’t remember taking the pictures on the second phone.” Somehow he talked about that moment a lot easier than he did about the other things, but it still sent shivers down Prentiss spine. Danny couldn’t remember himself flying around inside the mall taking pictures of the explosives and even the insides of them.

“Why didn’t you tell us back then?” she asked.

Danny shrugged. “It was pretty far down on my priority list at the moment. I put it down to the concussion I got in the explosion.” He gave Prentiss a tired look that made him look much older than the 16 year old he was. “If I wanted to hurt Dash I wouldn’t beat him up, hell I consider him a friend.” He rubbed at his face. “Or sort of friend. He’s still an arrogant prick, a meathead and a bully, genius paper plane folder and wouldn’t be able to spell his own name if it was more than four letters.”

Exchanging a look with Song Prentiss stared back at Danny. It sounded like he disliked the other guy a lot and at the same time he had complemented the others paper plane folding skills, sounding like he knew Dash better than he should. Rubbing at his face Danny leaned away from the table and sighed. “You still want my help?” he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try as a rule to keep my chapters between 1000 to 2000 words for comfortable reading but sometimes they just keep going and I end up with long chapters like this that I won’t shorten down.


	4. Chapter 4

“As it stands now, with Dash in a coma and with you unable to remember, the police will have to go by the evidence and they are stacked against you. Not only do they have the teachers telling about previous fights between you and Baxter, they also have the students perception of your relationship and the fact that you were found literary red-handed.” Began Prentiss. “You will most likely be taken to a Juvenile detention facility to await trial, If Baxter don’t wake up then you are looking at more than two years imprisoned.”

“But if he wakes up it’ll be up to him what happened and considering the injuries he might not remember anything as well.” Continued Song.

“Your best option is to help us with an investigation in to Raithshore Juvenile detention facilities. Your help in this case might help you get a leaner sentence if or when your case goes to court.” Danny opened his mouth to speak but Prentiss held up a finger to stop him. “Before you say yes you need to know that we would be sending you to prison with gang people that have done worse things than get caught buying drugs, some of them are murderers and therefore the security at the place is high.”

Tilting his head to the side Danny waited for Prentiss to finish when she did he spoke. “Why do you need my help investigating this? Can’t you just go in flash your badges, ask questions and be done with it?”

There was a soft smile on Prentiss lips. “We have no jurisdiction in this case, it’s nothing crossing stateliness and we haven’t been invited to investigate this. The only reason the case made its way to the BAU is because one of the kids who died was a distant relative to an agent in the building and he asked if we could give the case a looking in to.” She had her hand over the file on the table, one corner had gotten coffee spilt on it.

“Couldn’t you just ask any desperate kid going to jail, why me.” He lowered his eyes to his hands again scratching at his nails.

“We don’t know any teenagers that can be trusted like you and your friends.” Said Prentiss never taking her eyes of Danny.

“What makes you think you can trust me?” he asked peeling at his nails. If he could he would be biting them by now, he’d rather be left alone to himself again but he was curious what made the agents that had asked him to never get involved in their cases again come to him and offer him help in exchange for his assistance.

The corners of Prentiss mouth turned up and her eyes glittered. “The fact that you are still sitting here and hasn’t walked out of the station yet makes you more trustworthy than most teenagers your age.”

Both Danny and Song blinked at Prentiss but Danny was the one who started laughing. He pulled his hands out of the cuffs and pushed back his hair leaning back against the chair. “The thought never crossed my mind to be honest.” He said surprised at himself for never thinking of running away.

“Which is what makes you ideally suited for this case. We wouldn’t be imprisoning you as much as asking you to go to this prison and tell us what’s going on behind its walls.” Calming himself and stretching his arms over his head Danny nodded.

He then tilted his head to the side and looked over at the mirror glass. He could hear his mom’s familiar voice outside in the bullpen. Lowering his hands to place them on the desk Danny frowned. “You are going to have to talk to my mom and dad about this right?”

Prentiss nodded. “It’s the law you are a minor, we are only using the system right now to get you in to a position we can exploit.” She too turned her head to watch the mirror but unlike Danny she couldn’t see the shadow of movement on the other side.

“Then ask me later when mom is here, give me some time to think.” He picked up the cuffs and put them back on his sore wrists, the metal had been pinching his skin but the scrapes were nothing compared to the thin long cuts from the broken coffee mug.

“Alright.” Said Prentiss picking up her folder as the door to the interrogation room opened and Grayson stepped in. “We’ll talk to you later then.” She and Song got up as Grayson spoke.

“I’m sorry but you’ll have to leave now.” He said stepping to the side as the two women left the room. “Mrs Fenton.” He said and Danny’s mouth was suddenly dry as his mom stepped in to the room.

He didn’t know what to expect, but when Maddie Fenton’s eyes fell on him and she walked in to the room embracing Danny he thought himself silly. Whatever he did he would always be loved by his mom and dad. “I’m sorry I’m late, we were under water and I didn’t get a signal, it wasn’t before we got home that I got the call. Are you alright.”

Rolling his eyes Danny leaned in to the hug breathing in his mother’s scent before he sighed. “Would you stop asking that question mom, I’m always going to be fine.” He said wincing as his head throbbed.

She let go of him and sat down on the empty chair beside Danny. “I am always going to ask that question.” She turned her attention to Grayson who had sat down in front of them a file in front of him, the same one he’d slapped on the table before, noted Danny.

“Now then, Daniel could you tell us what happened at school today?” Asked Grayson.

Picking at his nails again Danny scraped the blood off from under them. “Beats me.” He answered staring down at his hands.

“Danny.” Said Maddie a hard note to her voice. She might be happy he was alright but that didn’t stop her from being hard on him, he had gotten himself in to this situation now he had to explain it to her. The only problem was that he couldn’t and he didn’t want her to know about the missing memories she would only jump at possession again.

Opening the folder in front of him Grayson sighed. “You are aware that there are cameras in the school corridors.” Danny nodded, he and Tucker had spent hours turning the cameras in order to give him good spots to go ghost in and so that they weren’t aimed at his locker. “On the videotape it shows Dash Baxter dragging you in to a classroom, five minutes later your teacher arrives and calls for an ambulance and the police.” He nodded again guessing Grayson was cutting down the story and taking out the details in order to get him to talk. “What happened in those five minutes?” he asked.

Biting his lip Danny thought about his answer before repeating. “Beats me.” It was for once the most honest answer he could give and no one believed him. He ignored his mom trying to get him to talk, to explain himself. He let Grayson dance around the bush till he actually gave some facts.

“Dash Baxter is currently fighting for his life, you not only broke his ribs this time but you beat his skull in. No one knows if the kid will ever be the same again, if he’ll ever play football again. All the evidence points at you and you have nothing to say for yourself.” Lifting his head Danny looked at the man tiredly.

“What do you think?” he asked. He was bored, hungry and the man’s voice was making his headache worse. If he could only get some peace and quiet he’d be happy.

The man frowned. “I think you are hiding something and if you don’t tell me we will have to look at what the evidence is saying and that will mean you’ll be taken to juvie.” Danny nodded.

His mom put her hand on Danny’s arm, the rubber glove warm against his skin. “Danny.” She said both pleading and demanding but he didn’t speak again. Finally Grayson gave up and told Maddie to come with him. Danny followed them with his eyes, watching their shadows move on the other side of the glass, listening to them as Grayson informed his mom of what was happening next.

He put his head back on the cold table, his stomach growling loudly making him feel sick with hunger. There must be some law against holding a person without feeding them, he thought remembering crime series where the cops would let the criminal eat, bribe him with food in exchange for the truth. Had Grayson waved a burger in front of Danny he wasn’t sure he’d stay quiet. As it were the one to wave a burger bag in front of him was Prentiss.

Danny blinked, he hadn’t noticed his mom returning to his side, a bitter look on her face, or the agent and her lawyer. “You hungry?” she asked Danny who grabbed at the bag, thankfully within reach or the chain might have broken.

Prentiss must have stopped at the Nasty Burger and ordered the most common menu teenagers ate there, for the moment he bit in to the big greasy burger he tasted the nasty sauce and pickles, the signature of a Nasty burger. “Thanks.” He said wolfing down the burger.

He heard the soft laugh from Prentiss. “You’re welcome.” She said and waited for Danny to finish his burger in what must have been record time before he looked in the bag again and pulled out the potato fries and a mug of still hot coffee.

He popped one of the fries in to his mouth and sipped at the coffee not caring that it burnt his tongue. “Daniel slow down or you’ll choke.” Said his mom but she didn’t stop him from eating.

Glancing at Prentiss the woman nodded and turned to Maddie. “Mrs Fenton, as I said before I’m SSI Emily Prentiss head of the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit. We’ve run in to your son before and he has helped us out with a few cases. We’d want him to assist us again with a case we are having trouble investigating.”

Maddie turned to Danny who sipped his coffee. “When was this?” she asked.

Swallowing his mouthful of fries Danny looked up at his mom. “The time we went to Chicago for the space convention was the first time, I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “And they were the ones at the Mall catching the bad guy.”

“You never told me about this.” Said his mom turning back to Prentiss. “I can’t stop thinking that there is some coincidence, that you show up here now when my son is being sent to jail.”

“It’s no coincidence, Mrs Fenton, simply bad timing. We want Danny to be sent to Raithshore Juvenile detention facilities to talk to the inmates and see what he can find out about two accidents that caused the lives of two inmates.” Explained Prentiss.

“No. You are not sending my son in to some dangerous prison do it yourself.” Said Maddie putting a protective arm over Danny’s shoulder which he shrugged off.

“I’ll do it.” He said glaring at his mom. “If I’m going to prison at least I’ll be of some use going to this place. It can’t be more dangerous than having ghosts wreak havoc all over school every week.” He could see that his mom didn’t like what he was saying but she failed to come up with a convincing argument to change Danny’s mind.

“If the court find’s Danny guilty he will get a lighter sentence because he helped us and our lawyers will be working for him. This is the best outcome of a bad situation.” Explained Song handing Maddie a piece of paper which the woman read.

Minutes later Maddie left with the lawyer Song, Prentiss left to talk to someone and Danny was once more alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to have time to upload this chapter tomorrow so you all get it today, please enjoy, I spent most of my summer writing this story.


	5. Chapter 5

This time Danny wasn’t left in the room for long. Grayson walked in to the room joined by a uniformed cop. He changed the cuffs from the one with the long chain that had been holding Danny to the table to the short one that Grayson had cuffed him with before. “We are taking you to a place where you are going to wait for transport alright.” He informed Danny who nodded.

The uniformed cop gripped him by the elbow making Danny get up and follow as the man pointed him in the direction they wanted him to walk. In to an elevator and down a level, take a right, past a barred desk, through barred gates untill they stopped in front of a steal door. Grayson opened the door, revealing a small room with graffiti covered walls, a bench and linoleum floor that had seen better days.

Danny was led in to the room and then the uniformed cop backed away letting Grayson get in. “I’ll remove the cuffs, there’s a camera in that corner there, if you try anything the cuffs comes on again understand.” Danny nodded glancing up at the camera a plan taking place in his mind.

“What time is it?” he asked having lost track sitting in that room alone.

“Past seven.” Sighed Grayson taking off the cuffs. “Someone will get you later.” He said leaving the room and letting the officer outside close the door and lock it loudly.

Glancing up at the camera Danny rubbed his wrists, there were small cuts on them from the cuffs, if he hadn’t pulled at them he might not have gotten hurt. With a sigh Danny paced the space before he stepped in to the corner under the camera, jumping up to hover under it as he turned invisible.

Concentrating hard Danny changed first in to Phantom then made a duplicate of himself that changed back in to Fenton and became visible landing in the same corner. If someone was watching the video feed it would have looked like static or a glitch, probably static because of him using his ghost powers near the camera.

The copy in the cell sat down on the bench curling up in a corner as Danny flew out of the building in to the fresh air. It had started to rain at some point during the day but enjoying the feeling of freedom Danny didn’t care if he got soaked or not.

Taking out a direction he flew towards the only place he thought his friends would be at. The Foley house was cramped in between similar houses on a street that looked less fancy compared to the street Sam lived on. The window to Tucker’s room was light and hovering outside he could hear Sam and Valeri argue.

He considered for a moment to stay outside and listen to the argument but when he heard the unmistakable sound of Valeri’s ghost alarm go off he sighed and phased in through the window landing on Tuckers bed. “What are you shouting about I could hear you all the way down street.” He said getting mixed reactions from his friends.

Sam was the one to turn from her fight with Valeri and give him a hug that rivaled the one his mom had given him. “Thank god you are alright what happened, people say you beat up Dash.”

“Serves the trash right. Why did you have to beat him to a pulp?” Asked Valeri her arms crossed over her chest.

“Thanks for dropping by mate I don’t know how long I would survive with these two.” Grinned Tucker getting a flick at the back of his head from Valeri.

Sam let go of Danny who turned back to his human form. “To be honest guys I don’t know what happened.” Sighed Danny combing back his wet hair with his fingers. He was bombarded with questions and retold the story he’d told Prentiss before.

When they finally stopped asking him what had happened he told them of what was going to happen. “You are going to jail!” Exclaimed Tucker making Danny cover his ears.

“Yes Tuck I’m going to jail, but it’s not like I can’t leave whenever I want to, like now.” He massaged his temples.

“But this power has its price, you know that Danny.” Said Sam her arms crossed over her chest a stubborn look on her face. “And who is going to protect Amity Park when you are gone.”

“Um excuse me, greatest ghost hunter in the room.” Said Valeri leaning on the back of Tucker’s chair. “I can deal with whatever ghost comes in to town. Besides what if these accidents are ghost related.”

“There’s always that possibility.” Agreed Danny. “And you guys are great ghost hunters, just work with Valeri like you work with me and no ghost will take over Amity Park while I’m gone.”

Tucker and Sam exchanged a look. “You are taking this very calmly Danny.” Said Sam getting an raised eyebrow from him. “I get that prison don’t scare you after Walker’s Prison, but the fact that you can’t remember what happened when Dash was beaten up should atleast bother you. You are being blamed for it after all.”

Sighing Danny nodded. “It does bother me, but no matter how hard I tried to remember what happened I can’t. At least doing this for the agents makes the situation less,” He shrugged. “Less pointless.” he looked over at Tucker. “How good are you at hacking security cameras?” he asked.

Tucker looked insulted. “How good are you at piloting spaceships in Doom?” he retorted flicking on his computer. “What cameras do you want hacked?”

“Raithshore Juvenile detention facilities.” Said Danny.

“That’s where they are sending you?” Asked Sam.

“Yes. I want to know what happened there before hand, and you’ll be able to see if I need your help.” Agreed Danny getting up to watch Tucker type out code on his computer.

“You want me to activate overwatch.” Said Tucker pressing enter and watching more code answer his.

“If possible, I know it isn’t finished but we might need it, and maybe we can come up with a way of communicating.” His friend nodded fingers flying over the key’s.

“Depends on how high-tech their system is, we might be able to connect the Fenton phones.” Tucker frowned and leaned forward. The others stayed quiet until Tucker straightened. “Sorry man they are apparently on a different network, I need a direct link to the place or there are no cameras.” Tucker scratched his head and glanced over to the side. “and I might have to make some more new code to mask my tracks.”

“Direct link how?” Asked Danny looking over at the clock and wincing, he needed to get back.

Tucker pulled out a desk drawer and fished out a small box from within. “Direct link like, put this on the back of a computer with access to the place security system and I’ll get a wireless backdoor in.”

Danny opened the box and found a wireless receiver inside. “You know this is breaking the law right.” Said Danny transforming in to his ghost half and putting the box in to one of the pouches on his belt.

“But we are doing it for the right reason.” Grinned Tucker. “Come on man you and Valeri broke the rules when we were in danger, let us do the same now and make sure you are alright.”

Nodding Danny floated up. “I’ll come by if things get to boring in prison. When we get the communication up you can even send for me if you ever need help.” He turned to Valeri. “Do me a favor and keep the Boxghost on his toes or he’ll just keep coming back with the same lame box-pun.”

“Won’t be a problem.” She said the bands on her wrists glowing in eagerness.

Danny was about to fly out the window when Sam put her arms around him. “I don’t believe you did this.” Whispered Sam in to his ear before letting go of him. “That’s for good luck, I don’t want to hear that you are dead as well alright.”

“Come on Sam don’t you know, I’m a dead man walking.” He grinned before diving through Tuckers window flying in the direction of the station and his copy in the cell.


	6. Chapter 6

Returning to the cell and merging with his copy made Danny’s head throb and he rolled off the bench to lay on the cold floor his stomach twisting. He covered his head with his arms trying to cut out the sounds of the building and the light shining down on him from a lamp high on the ceiling. An annoying buzz was coming from the lamp and he was tempted to use an ecto-ray to snuff it out.

Instead Danny crawled in under the bench taking advantage of the shadow under it. Breathing out he let his ice powers flow out on his breath making the air cooler inside the cell. Even though he regretted making another copy Danny was glad he’d had a chance to explain himself to his friends. They hadn’t looked at him as if he was a monster, they had treated him like their friend and their concern was welcomed.

Heck Danny was a bit worried that he couldn’t remember a thing from the point he had been dragged in to the classroom by Dash to the moment officer Grayson talked to him. It had worried him the first time he’d found himself missing memories but what if he was missing more, what if there were more moments in his life that he couldn’t remember.

He curled in on himself and tried to force himself to remember the time he’d borrowed Sam’s phone in the mall to take pictures of the bomb. He knew he had done it, he’d seen his own hand and had a feeling that he had asked for her phone but couldn’t remember anything else.

The sound of the heavy steel door opening made him jump and bang his head in to the bench he was laying under. Muttering a string of curses Danny rolled out and glared up at the person who’d entered his cell. Both Prentiss and Grayson stared down at him. “Find anything under there?” Asked Grayson offering Danny a hand up.

“A bloody headache.” Grumbled Danny taking the offered hand. As soon as he was up Grayson slapped the metal cuffs around his wrists again making Danny twitch.

“It’s time to go.” Said Prentiss giving Grayson a hard glare. “You’ll be flying with me and Luke to O’Hare tonight, there is going to be a transport waiting for you there to take you to Reithshore Juvie.” Danny nodded twitching again when the other cuff closed around his wrist.

“Come on let’s go.” Grayson gripped Danny’s bicep and both followed Prentiss back the way he’d come from when they’d taken him down to the cell and in to the elevator. Prentiss pressed the button for the parking garage under the station and they went down.

When the doors opened Danny was met with a gust of cool air smelling of exhaust fumes. He stood still for a moment savoring the taste of cold air and then got shoved forward by Grayson. “Would you not.” He hissed stumbling forward after Prentiss.

“It’s alright officer I got him from here.” Said the familiar voice belonging to Luke Alvez. The man moved up to take Danny by his other arm. “Come on this way.” He said turning Danny towards a black SUV. Following slightly confused Danny wondered how much time had gone in to their plan.

Prentiss opened the back door before jumping in to the drivers seat. “Watch your head.” Said Luke putting a hand on Danny’s head as he got in to the car. “Strap in.” he said giving Danny a wink before he closed the door. Blinking at the window Danny realized that it was reflective from the outside and no one would see him phase out of the cuffs.

Pulling his left hand out of the cuff Danny reached up and pulled on his seatbelt catching Prentiss eye’s in the rearview mirror as Luke got in to the passenger seat. “Nice seeing you again kid, had a nice Christmas?” Asked the man putting on his seatbelt as Prentiss started the car.

“If you call being frozen in a block of ice and then drowning nice, then yes it was just as great as always.” Said Danny drily.

The two agents blinked at him. “You are kidding right?” asked Luke surprise on his face.

“No I don’t joke about Christmas.” Danny stared out the window and watched streetlights flash by. Luke didn’t try to small-talk again and Danny was grateful for the peace of the car, the soft hum of the engine and the darkness of the back seat. He closed his eyes leaning his forehead against the window accepting the cold as he drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t before his left wrist was cuffed once more that he woke up, a soft breeze playing over his face as he blinked at the near darkness around him. “Sorry you need to keep these on till we are up in the air alright.” Said Luke in a soft voice unbuckling Danny’s seatbelt.

Rubbing at his eye’s Danny glided out of the car and blinked at the lights flashing in his eyes. “Where are we?” he asked not recognizing the place in the darkness.

“Airport. Come along.” Luke put a hand on Danny’s shoulder and guided him towards a jet that was standing ready at the tarmac. He saw Prentiss walk up the stairs ahead of them and made his best not to stumble as he walked up the stairs.

Inside the plane, Danny felt stuffy and wanted to get out in to the fresh air again but let Luke seat him down in a seat and buckle him in. “Quick questing, You ever flown in a plane before?” Asked Luke watching Danny fidget around in his seat.

“My parents are suckers for long car journeys, but I’ve flown before if only to get to my aunt in Sputoon, and then we had to parachute out of the plane.” Danny frowned. “Actually all my plane flights when I wasn’t flying have ended with me parachuting out.”

“I regret asking, is something in your life normal?” He sat down in the seat beside Danny putting his own belt on as the plane began rolling.

“Girlfriend problems.” Sighed Danny.

“Aaaa That sound’s familiar, don’t tell me she’s a ghost?” Prentiss walked in to the cabin having spoken with the captain.

“No! My first girlfriend only tried to kill me up until recently, and I don’t know if I have one at the moment.” His cheeks flushed red as he remembered the kiss he’d shared with Sam in Doom, a kiss they had never spoken of since.

“Not even your girlfriend problems sound normal.” Sighed Luke. Prentiss sat down in front of them a curious look on her face.

“Forget I brought it up.” Sighed Danny. In reality the only time he’d ever felt normal was when he’d been dating Valeri. Being with someone who liked him for who he was had been great but then he had screwed it up just like he screwed up his relationship with Sam.

The plane speed up, the g-force pressing Danny back in his seat. He closed his eyes and imagined what was happening in the pilots cabin, he could hear the pilot and co-pilot speak. They soon leveled out and Danny opened his eyes lifting his hands he turned them intangible and let the cuffs fall on to the table between them.

The corner of Prentiss mouth twitched. She unfastened her seatbelt and got up. “You want coffee, it’s going to be a long flight.” She asked as Luke got out of his seat as well.

“Yes, do you have anything to eat as well, I’m still hungry.” Danny turned in his seat and looked back at Prentiss as she walked in to a pantry and started making the kind of coffee that came in small capsules you had to put in to a machine.

She opened a cabinet and took out a snickers bar tossing it to him. “You want a sandwich.” She asked opening a lower cabinet that had a lamp on the inside, a refrigerator, thought Danny.

“Anything.” Said Danny through a mouth full of chocolate and nuts. Lights flicked on behind him and a pepe voice came through the speakers.

“Evening, how’s my favorite spook and ghost buster?” Asked Garcia her face appearing on the screen on the wall opposite Danny.

“Ghost busters are copyrighted, besides I use a thermos to capture ghosts vacuum-cleaners are too bulky and to cramped.” He gave her a smile.

“I will remember that.” She said tapping a key on the keyboard in front of her as Prentiss handed Danny a mug of coffee and a sandwich.

“You got the briefing ready?” Asked Prentiss sitting down in her seat again, her own mug of coffee in hand. She brought out the file she’d shown Danny earlier.

“I do.” She tapped a key and her window on the screen became smaller. “I call it Briefing for Dummies.”

“Hey.” Protested Danny holding his coffee to his mouth.

“Oh not you, The Dummy is the guy next to you.” Said Penelope a wicked smirk on her face. Luke rolled his eyes, leaning against the back of his seat a mug of coffee in his hands as well. “Anyhow, Raithshore Juvenile has had three accidents the last two weeks where the ac system has broken down and pumped cold air in to the inmates cells, killing two inmates and sending another to the hospital.” Garcia brought up an image of a teenager with short cut hair and dark eye’s that were starring coldly in to the camera. “Julian Frise, age 17 murdered his father after years of abuse is serving another year in Raithshore till he’s 18 then there will be a retrial.  He was found frozen in his cell but the doctors managed to revive him and he’s made a full recovery and is back at Raithshor.”

Danny sipped his coffee as the other two photos popped up on the screen, one dark skinned boy smirking at the camera and one Asian kid with messy black hair covering sunken red rimmed eyes. “Nathan Young 16 and Lau Xi Song 14 both locked up for armed robbery was not as lucky. They were found in their cell last weekend frozen to death. The coroner couldn’t find any signs of struggle and their deaths has been ruled accidental.”

“Was Lau Xi Song related to Rebeca Song?” asked Danny remembering the layer from the interrogation room.

“Distant relatives, the family asked her for help seeing as they don’t believe this to be an accident. And we agree.” Said Prentiss meeting Danny’s eyes. “Once is an accident, but twice in the same week is a pattern.”

“So why do you need me, can’t you just disguise someone as a guard and have him snoop around?” Asked Danny taking a bite out of his sandwich.

“We’d love to, but the security procedures, and rules prevents us from doing so. The only way to get someone on the inside is by having them sent there as a prisoner.” Explained Garcia.

“Must be the only good thing to come of this day.” Sighed Danny rubbing at the spot between his eyebrows. “What do you want me to do, more than being sent there?”

He caught Garcia giving Prentiss and Luke a worried look and wished he could taste what emotions she was feeling. “We want you to keep your eyes and ears open, listen to the rumors and keep your head down. We’ll take our chance to visit you and you can tell us what you find out and we’ll keep you updated with what’s happening with your case.”

Danny glared at the cuffs on the table. “You don’t want me to ghost around and find out about things on my own?” he asked, feeling like they were missing the chance to get as much as they could out of his stay in the prison.

“We don’t want you to put yourself in any more trouble. If you just listen and talk to us about what you see and hear we can work with that.” Said Prentiss in that way that reminded Danny of his mom.

“But we can’t stop you from Ghosting around.” Said Luke tapping Danny on his shoulder. “Just don’t get caught.” Danny shot the man a glare but was only given a smile in return.

“How can I contact you if I have to?” He asked putting down his mug.

“Thought about that.” Said Luke and pulled out an old disposable phone from his back jeans pocket. “You have this on you when they take you in. They are going to put it together with your personal belongings to be returned when you leave. It’s programed with my number, you can just walk through walls to get to it if you have to.”

Taking the phone Danny weighed it in his hand for a moment. “Or I can just keep it on me at all times.” He said the rings of light washing over him turning him in to Phantom. He opened a pocket on his utility belt and put the phone there and then he turned back to his human form.

“They won’t find the phone on you?” asked Prentiss blinking the spots of light out of her eyes.

“The belt lets me keep whatever I place in its pockets in my ghost form. I’ve got a couple of ecto-grenades, and ghost webs in there that no one has noticed yet.” He sipped his coffee. Getting that wish from Dessere had been the best thing he had done, though he should have wished that the things he place in it didn’t get damaged by the fights as well but that was another problem.

“Well that solves that problem. You got any more questions?” Asked Garcia

Lowering his eyes to stare at the handcuffs again Danny asked the question that had been burning on his mind all day. “How is Dash?”

There was a silent beat before Garcia spoke. “It says he’s out of surgery but in critical condition.”

Danny gritted his teeth’s and had to force himself not to grip the mug to hard this time. “How badly is he hurt?” He bit his lower lip, there had been blood on his hands, Dash had been bleeding.

The silence in the cabin was heavy, the agents exchanged looks before Garcia spoke. “He has two broken ribs that punctured his left lung, he has a broken collarbone and his head was bashed in hard enough to give him a concussion, that caused swelling in his brain. He had surgery to fix the lung and they had to drill a hole in his skull to reduce the intracranial pressure. Right now he's in a medicaly induced coma.”

“Thick headed idiot.” Growled Danny putting down his mug on the table to rub his forehead as pain pulsed through it in time with his heart beat. He didn’t know why but he felt like it should have been he who had his skull bashed in.

The agents let him be for the rest of the one and a half hour long flight. Prentiss found him some aspirin for his headache and he fell asleep before he could finish his coffee.


	7. Chapter 7

Waking up as the plane descended Danny felt a knot tighten in his stomach and he gripped the armrest glaring out the window. The plane shook and Danny found his hand phasing through the armrest. He jerked it up again forcing himself to calm down, it was just turbulence.

The plane landed smoothly and Danny slouched back in his seat dreading what came next. As the plane came to a halt Luke picked up the handcuffs. “Come on these have to go back on.” He said.

Danny made a face and took of the seatbelt and got out of his seat before he let Luke put the metal cuffs around his wrists. “Why, I won’t run away.” He asked as Luke made sure they weren’t too tight.

“Procedures. In your case it’s to show that you are complying to the rules. Though we are the only ones who know.” He gave Danny an apologetic smile. “Just do as you are told, don’t start any fights and things will work out alright.”

Nodding Danny let Luke lead him off the plane following Prentiss to were two uniformed men stood beside a van. “What the kid done to be brought here by the FBI?” asked one of them the other, low enough that only a person with supernatural hearing could hear.

“It’s not your place to ask, we are only here to transport him.” Said the other. “Shut up now and behave.” Prentiss greeted them and after a moment she handed them a file that did not have a coffee stain on it before turning to Danny.

“I’ll see you on your first visitation alright.” Danny nodded and let Luke hand him over to the first guy who shoved him in to the back of the van. There were hard benches along the walls and the guy strapped him in to seatbelts that fastened to the wall and then connected his cuffs to a chain that was fastened to the floor.

Danny got a glance of Prentiss and Luke as the guy jumped out and closed the doors behind him, a taste like peppermint in the air. Regret, thought Danny slouching down to sit more comfortably feeling the doors to the front seats slam close. The van started and Danny listened to the two guards radio as they drove off a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he recognized Embers new hit, a re-mix of her Doom2 Battle music without the hypnotic side-effects.

Slumbering in a half awake state Danny lifted his head when the car came to a stop, the engine turning off. He followed the sound of the two guards, hearing them talk to someone with a deeper voice, then the backdoor opened and light stabbed at Danny’s eyes from the bright outside. “Time to get up sleepyhead.” Said the deep voiced man.

Yanking at his chains he saw the man’s mouth twist up in a smile. He got up in the back of the van with Danny and reached for the chains unlocking them before helping Danny out of the seatbelts. “Thanks.” Sighed Danny before walking out ahead of the man.

Outside he found himself standing at the entrance to an old brick building towering high above him giving the impression of a fort. Lights were shining down from the roofs and looking around he found himself standing in a gravel courtyard surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wires and more shining flodlights.

“Welcome to your new home, Raithshore.” Said the deep voiced man taking Danny by the elbow. “This way kid.” He tugged and Danny followed feeling suddenly as awake as he did during his patrols.

The guard led Danny in to a room with benches against one wall and rows of desks behind wired glass along the opposite. He led Danny to the only desk that had someone sitting behind it. The man behind the desk looked up a bored expression on his face. “Turn out your pockets.” He said putting a tray through the gap in the glass.

Once again Danny tugged at the chains around his wrists and the first guard took of one to let Danny dig around in his pockets. As he placed the items on the tray the man behind the desk talked writing something down on a piece of paper. “Change 1dollar 35 cent. Three keys. What is this?” He asked pointing at the Spector-shield Danny had placed on the tray.

“Glowing bracelet just something fun a friend gave me.” He sighed, he didn’t even know why he still carried it with him the thing would burn like hell if he used it against ghost-rays.

The man gave him an eye roll and wrote bracelet on the paper. Fishing around in his pockets Danny found the pen he’d gotten from his parents that Christmas, _Shit!._ “Raise your hands.” Said deep voice. Doing as he was told Danny sighed when the man patted him down and found the pocketknife he’d hidden in his socks after he’d almost gotten caught in a ghost-web.

“That’s all?” asked the man behind the desk. When Danny nodded he pushed a pen and the paper through the window taking the tray. “Sign your name on the dotted line.” He ordered and Danny did.

He watched as his belongings was placed in a brown envelope with the paper he’d just signed and then closed. The deep voiced officer gripped Danny by the arm once more. “This way.” He said leading him towards a door at the other end of the room. Danny heard the unmistakable buss of the electronic lock before the man opened it and Danny walked in.

They stopped in a small room with a white painted wall that had black stripes to the right and a Plexiglas window to the left. The guy from the other room entered with a camera that he put on a stand aiming it at Danny. “Put your back to the wall and look in to the camera.” Said the man.

Rolling his eyes Danny did what he was told, for a moment tempted to make his eyes glow but decided not to. Instead he yawned just as the picture was taken and the man behind the camera cursed. The next photo was good enough and he was once more cuffed and led through the second door in to a corridor of closed doors.

Deep voice led him in to a room that reminded Danny of an office but less cluttered than his teachers. A man in guard uniform sat behind the desk typing out something on the computer. When the two entered he looked up, gave a forced smile and told Danny to sit down, the other guard standing a little behind and to the right covered both the door and Danny’s blind spot.

“Evening Daniel, I’m officer Dale, you’ve already met officer Hencshaw.” He nodded at the guard behind Danny.

Nodding Danny looked the man over, dark skinned, well-muscled, in his forties, graying hair, tired kind eye’s, a coffee stain on his uniform and at least a two day old stubble on his chin. “I have to ask you a couple of questions and would like it if you answered truthfully.” Danny nodded again he could hear a phone ringing somewhere deeper inside the building.

“Your name’s Daniel Jeremy Fenton correct?” Asked Dale.

“Danny but yes.” Sighed Danny. Prentiss and Luke had told him of this part of the intake procedures, they were going to start with yes and no questions already having the answers and then move on to more complicated questions in order to detriment what made him anxious or scared, what status his mental health was and what risk level he was.

“You 16 Danny?” Asked Dale correcting himself after Danny’s wishes trying to build some comfort between them.

“Yes.” Sighed Danny slouching down in his plastic chair.

“You have an older sister?” Danny nodded. The questions went on to the man asking where he lived, what school he went to, what grade he was in, who his closest friends were and what was their age, and so on until he come to the real questions. “Have you ever hurt yourself?”

Danny looked down on his hands, Prentiss had told him to be honest, not to lie if he didn’t absolutely have to. “Yes.” Sighed Danny remembering his hand sinking the cursed Ripper sword in to his thigh.

The man paused reading the next question on the screen. “You ever tried to commit suicide?” His eyes were on Danny watching his every move.

Letting out a deep sigh and looking the man in the eye Danny wrinkled his nose. “Life is too precious to end without having lived it all first.” He didn’t like the subject it reminded him of a time when everything had been to dark and nothing had gone right.

“Is that a yes or no Danny?” Asked Dale speaking softly.

“I didn’t get to that point and I won’t ever again.” He glared hard eyes on the man trying to convince him of his sincerity.

“Alright relax, this is a sore subject for you?” Dale had deviated from the line of questions.

Rubbing at his eyes Danny nodded. “I can’t change the past sir, I know that.” He let his hands fall in to his lap and stared at them imagining the blood that had been there earlier that day. “I can just live in the present.” He sighed wondering what Gideon would say about it.

Dale continued asking questions but they were not as sensitive as the last one, concerning more about drug use and alcohol intake. “I don’t do drugs and am not that found of alcohol.” He answered.

When Dale had asked his final question he got up and stretched. “Hencshaw take a break I’ll take Danny through the rest.” He said getting a grunt from the other man who left the office leaving the door open. “Come on Danny it’s already late and this part won’t take to long.”

Following Dale’s instructions Danny found himself in a cold room reminding him of the showers in the boys changing room, though this place had only one shower and there was a Plexiglas divider between him and the corrections officer, the door locking electronically behind them. “I know this is a bit embarrassing.” Said Dale taking the cuffs of Danny.

“You want me to strip and shower?” Asked Danny rubbing his wrists, this was another thing Luke had informed him of and he didn’t like it.

“The sooner we are done you get new clothes and can get some sleep, you look like you need it.” Sighed Dale taking a tub like the one you see on airports from a shelf and put it on a bench. “Shoes first.”

Danny took of his shoes and socks without complaining but stopped when Dale ordered him to take of his t-shirt. At school he was always the first to change for gym and the last one to shower afterwards, avoiding having anyone else than Tucker in the changing room. Having this man stare at him was embarrassing and he knew the man would get the wrong idea the moment he saw the scars. “Come on you might have all night but I don’t.”

Reaching up Danny gripped the neck of his t-shirt and stopped. He should just do it, get the embarrassing part over and let people think what they wanted at least the people who mattered knew the truth. “Come on kid I’ve seen it all before.” Sighed Dale a compassionate tone to his voice.

Danny bit his lower lip and met the man’s eyes. “Don’t get the wrong idea alright.” Sighed Danny before pulling off the t-shirt.

Dale grunted and moved over to a shelf taking a clipboard and a pen from it. “Sorry about this but we need to document all identifying marks, scars and tattoos.” He rubbed at his forehead with the pen. Nodding Danny crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Danny didn’t say anything, he held his arms crossed over his chest and let the man draw lines on a sketch on the paper fastened to the clipboard. He reluctantly lifted his arms showing the scar across his chest that he’d gotten half a year before and that was almost invisible. “Turn around please.” Said Dale and Danny wrinkled his nose.

He could take having his enemy pointing a gun at his back, he could take having people whisper behind his back but he didn’t like turning his back on this man however nice he might be, there was just something uncomfortable about the way he stared at Danny. Digging his nails in to his arms Danny turned around suppressing the instinct not to.

 “You have to take of your pants as well.” Said Dale when he’d drawn the last Scar, the most resent one as well courtesy of Skulker on new year’s eve. Getting out of his jeans Danny heard the man grunt again and draw on the paper. He had seen the scar on Danny’s right thigh. At least he wasn’t covered in bruises like he had been after his fight with Valeri weeks earlier. And he wasn’t as bone thin as he had been after the Blood blossom had left his system, he could still count his ribs in the mirror but there wasn’t as clean a definition as there had been between them.

“Alright last piece then you can take a shower.” Sighed Dale probably expecting to see more scars but he didn’t and simply ordered Danny to, “Shower and don’t forget to wash your hair properly.”


	8. Chapter 8

The steaming hot shower had felt both scolding against his skin and heavenly relaxing to his tight muscles. He’d worked out knots in his shoulders as he kept an eye on the intake officer once more sleepy and not in the mood to talk any more. He showered as ordered, dried off, got told off for not drying his hair properly, then dressed in stiff scrub like slacks and t-shirt that was a number to large.

Dale went on about instructions, handing Danny things he would need, he was allowed to keep his shoes they just removed the shoelaces. When he finally got to the end of it all he had put a pair of cuffs on Danny’s wrists again and led him through corridors with wired glass looking in to room, and steel doors that only opened with a keycard.

They eventually stopped outside a cell door in a dimly light room that Dale explained was the rec-room when they were free from their cells and wasn’t supposed to be somewhere else. He swiped his keycard to the cell door in the far corner and the light flashed on. “In you go.” Said the man.

Inside the cell was two bunks, the lower one was occupied by a young man with a buzz cut, sharp cheekbones, well-muscled arms and shoulders that showed on his shirtless body and almond shaped green eyes that blinked sleepily at Danny. “Sorry to wake you Jackson you have a new cellmate.” Grunted Dale taking the cuffs off Danny. “Get some sleep if you can kid.” He said before backing out of the cell and closing the door behind him.

“So what do I call you newbie?” asked Jackson rolling over on to his side watching as Danny put his stuff on the top bunk and kicked of his shoes.

“Not newbie.” Mumbled Danny taking a step on the others bunk to heave himself up to his bed. He would have preferred the bottom one but as long as he had somewhere to sleep he couldn’t complain.

“Well Not Newbie, call me Erik.” Yawned Danny’s cellmate. “Why they bring you in so late?”

“Cops couldn’t decide whether I done it or not, in the end they flipped a coin. Didn’t even get a heads up.” Yawned Danny pulling his blanket up to his chin wriggling around on the thin mattress trying to find a comfortable position.

Erik snorted. “Nice to have someone with a sense of humor.”

“Uh hu.” Sighed Danny closing his eyes, falling asleep.

The great thing about being tired enough to fall asleep on his feet, thought Danny, was that his dreams were often to exhausted as well to be any scary. He walked through the cramped school corridors Tucker and Sam elbowing him for making bad puns, he was in a good mood, who could blame him he’d gotten an A on their last English assignment and he hadn’t found it that hard.

The temperature in the corridor dropped and suddenly everyone was staring at him, whispering words he couldn’t hear. Looking over to his friends he found them whispering as well accusing eyes on him. Danny backed away, this was uncomfortable, “Guys what are you talking about?” he asked back hitting the locker behind him.

Dash bloody and angry face appeared in front of Danny, he raised a fist. Flinging his arms up a voice spoke in his ear. “This crap is just bollocks.” Goosebumps traveled down Danny’s spine and his heart skipped a beat as a warm breath touched his neck.

Startling awake, Danny’s body sank through his matrass landing him on the empty bunk below his. “Uh What.” Said a half sleeping voice above Danny. A moment later Erik looked over the edge of the bunk down at Danny. “How did you end up down there?” He asked in a hushed voice.

“The Fuck are you doing breathing down my neck.” Hissed Danny shivering. Cold sweat was making his t-shirt stick to his back.

The teen rubbed at his eyes and gave Danny a cheapish smile. “Sorry I sleepwalk, how’d you end up down there without moving over me?”

Breathing out a heavy sigh Danny rolled over attempting to go back to sleep. “Got talent.” He muttered closing his eyes. He could hear the other scoff around in his bunk before he dropped down landing barefoot on the hard floor. A moment later the matrass sank down and Danny found himself jerking awake and rolling over in midair to face his cellmate. “What are you doing?” he asked his heart almost beating out of his chest.

“Chill, it’s my bunk dud.” Yawned Erik laying down on his pillow.

Growling Danny climbed over the teenager and back on to his bunk where he pulled his blanket over himself once more and tried going back to sleep wondering if the guy on the bunk under him was related to Klemper, an annoying ghost who would chase after him throwing ice and ask if he wanted to be friends. Danny shivered at the thought of the ghost that was possibly more annoying than the Boxghost.

What he wouldn’t give right now to have the annoying ghost pop up shouting, “BEWARE for I am the Boxghost Fear me and my square containers of doom!” At least they guy knew what his territory was unlike someone else who had once more climbed up in to Danny’s bunk.

Sighing Danny opened his glowing green eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked feeling Erik’s breath on his neck once more.

“Five more minutes.” Mumbled the other and Danny rolled over to stare at him. The teen had pulled his blanket up with him and was hugging it, his eyes closed and his breathing slow.

“Don’t tell me you actually sleepwalked?” sighed Danny scooting a bit closer to the wall and pulling his own blanket over his head. He should probably complain but part of him felt comforted having someone at his back.

When he and his family had returned to Amity Park after Christmas with his cousins, Danielle had borrowed Jazz room. But the girl had had nightmares every night and although she didn’t wake up screaming at the top of her lungs she had still been unnerved enough to walk through the wall separating Danny’s and Jazz’s room and curl up on Danny’s bed burying her face against his back. Danny hadn’t minded, she’d taken comfort from his presence and he from hers, every night she was at his back had been another night he was without nightmares.

Having this stranger at his back felt like that, comforting and familiar without feeling strange. Tears welled up in Danny’s eyes. He wanted the strange noise filled comfort of his home. He wanted to hear the worrying mini explosions from the basement, the screaming alarm at odd hours, his mom’s soft footsteps walking up the stairs and his dad’s hard booted stomps coming after. He wanted to hear the hum of power running through the cables to the Ops center, the always present vibration in the air from all the energy spilling out of the ghost portal.

Danny took a shaking breath closing his eyes hard against the tears. He wanted to go to bed worrying over homework and not looking like a freak in school the next morning. Now he had to worry about what had happened to Dash, if he would recover and what would happen to himself. The FBI agents assignment to him had been a fleeting distraction to his thoughts up until that point but now when he was there locked up everything he’d forced himself not to feel came rushing back.

Crying silently Danny didn’t notice his cellmate roll over and put his back against Danny’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading this chapter earlier because I will be working at HDK Design schools Christmas Market all weekend and today knocked me out and tomorrrow is going to be longer.  
> Anyhow enjoy this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it last summer ^^  
> Fell free to comment or just leave a kudos, whatever you are the moste comfortable with.


	9. Chapter 9

The ecto-blasts hit their target in short succession, smoke billowed up around it as the material soaked up the ectoplasm. Maddie lowered her gun and pulled up her googles staring at the marks that would soon disappear. She had hit the target but never the center. Cursing she tossed the gun in to a box holding twenty more that needed adjustment.

Turning to the weapons vault Maddie brought out two more guns to her target range in the sub-basement. She put one gun on the table in front of her and loaded the other, pulling down her googles she took up a firing stance both hands on the gun. Sighting along the weapon Maddie fired again.

When she was done she lowered the weapon and let out a string of curses before tossing the gun at the overflowing box missing. The gun clattered along the floor until a foot stopped it. Maddie stopped her furious target practice and glared at the newcomer. A woman as tall as she was, who wore comfortable office clothes, had her blond hair pulled up in a ponytail and moved in a deliberate calculating way knowing the meaning of her own body language.

“Sorry to disturbed you, Your husband said I could find you down here.” Said the woman picking up the gun. Maddie could see the gun on the woman’s hip and narrowed her eyes.

Then again Jack had let her in and he was a good judge of character even if his perception of them would occasionally be clouded by previous relationships. Putting down the second ecto-gun she held Maddie pulled up her googles. There was something familiar about the woman though Maddie, thou she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly. “I’m simply adjusting our weapons accuracy for upcoming ghost hunts. How may I help you.”

The corners of the woman’s mouth turned up in a quick smile and she walked up to Maddie handing her the weapon and treating it as a proper gun. “We haven’t formally been introduced, I met you briefly before the holidays. I’m SSI Jenifer Jareau of the FBI.”

“I don’t think we’ve met before.” Said Maddie taking the woman’s offered hand. “Dr Madeline Fenton.”

“Understandable I can imagen you were more concerned with your son’s wellbeing at that time I would be two if my kid’s had been in a mall that was attacked.” Said Agent Jareau, there was no challenge in her voice, no judgment simply compaction and understanding. Something Maddi didn’t need right then. And yet this woman was a mother as well and seemed to understand Maddie’s desire to keep her son safe.

“What brings you to my house?” Asked Maddie trying to keep a calm outwards appearance as her insides were still raging on over the injustice her son had been served. Or maybe it had been justice, Maddie couldn’t tell.

“Danny. Your son.” Said the woman calmly.

Maddie’s mind raced to conclusions, he was hurt, he was dead, he would never be returned to her. Taking a deep breath that shook a little Maddie nodded. “What about him?” she asked challenging the woman to say something she didn’t want to hear.

Agent Jareau glanced around the room, the medieval torturer equipment hanging along one wall stood out just as much as the box of glowing ecto-guns. “Maybe we can talk somewhere less intense.” She said.

Looking around the room Maddie shrugged, she could use a cup of coffee and was starting to get hungry as well. “Kitchen then.” She sighed nodding for the woman to walk up before her.

Well in the kitchen Maddi busied herself changing the coffee filter and loading the machine. As that was done she started it and took out two mugs from a cupboard placing them on the kitchen table, gesturing for the agent to sit down. She did, holding herself stiffly, putting her hands in her lap.

Taking the seat opposite Jareau Maddie eyed the woman. “Tell me how you know my son?” she asked wishing her husband was there, he was always good at asking questions, but knowing him she suspected he was up in the Ops center working on a new invention.

“He saved my life.” Sighed Agent Jareau meeting Maddie’s eyes, who blinked not really understanding what the woman was saying. “But I suspect he never told you that.”

“No, he haven’t.” Said Maddie wondering what her son could have done to save an agent from the FBI, had he stopped her from walking in to oncoming traffic or something? The coffee machine bubbled on the counter adding to the background noise of the house.

“Did Danny ever tell you what happened in Chicago last fall?” Shaking her head Maddie’s hands balled up in to fists. She, Angela Foley and Pamela Manson had all let their children go to the city thinking that they were old enough to go to conventions on their own. She had almost had an heart attack when Jazz called and told her Danny was in the hospital.

Jack had been the one to drive and they got to the hospital shortly after Mr and Mrs Foley. They had found the four teens in Danny’s hospital-room playing a card-game, laughing and having fun, the only sign that they were hurt was the cast on Tuckers arm, the bandage on Danny’s leg and his slightly paler skin. “He said they’d been in an accident but they were fine.” Said Maddie seeing a muscle twitch in Jareau’s eyebrow.

The coffee brewer came to a gurgling completion having filled the kitchen air with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. “You could say it was an accident. I don’t think your son meant to stumble upon the serial killer we were investigating back then.”

“Serial killer?” asked Maddie alarmed, she hadn’t heard anything about a killer from anyone, not even Jazz.

Jareau nodded and got up from her seat taking the coffee pot and filling their mugs. “Thou it turned out we were dealing with more than the normal killer we could profile.” She sighed sitting back down. “Your son and his friends figured out very quickly that this wasn’t a person we were after, the unsub was a ghost overshadowing a human.”

Maddie thought she had heard wrong, it sounded absurd to hear, this well dressed government agent state that a serial killer had been a man possessed by a ghost only the GIW could possibly thing something like that. “The killer was a ghost and Danny figured it out before you did.” Said Maddie more to herself than to the woman. She felt a bit of pride in her son, he had known they were dealing with a ghost before the FBI.

“Yes, your son is a very bright young man. We should have taken his advise when dealing with this threat but back then we thought we were dealing with a copycat.” Jareau raised her mug of coffee to her lips and sipped a shadow playing over her face. “We laid a trap that lured the killer to us. Danny and his friends laid a trap that saved my life twice over.”

Shaking her head Maddi took her own mug in her hands and stared down in to the dark brew. It didn’t sound like her son, he would always run away from ghosts. He hadn’t called his mom and dad or told them of this ghost, why? “Why wasn’t I informed about this earlier?” she asked glaring at the woman in front of her.

Jareau lowered her own eyes and her fingers rubbed the edge of her mug. “I called you and left a voicemail when we found Danny bleeding and unconscious at the third crime scene, I don’t know why you didn’t get it. And after everything that happened we expected the teenagers to tell their parents, but I guess they didn’t.”

The two women sat quiet for a moment, Maddie had to take in the information she’d gotten. Her son had been bleeding and unconscious on a crime scene in Chicago. He’d figured out that the killer the FBI was after had been a ghost. Danny and his friends had laid a trap that saved the life of the agent in front of her twice and then said nothing about it to her or Jack. Did Jazz know? She wondered suspiciously. Her eldest daughter had been at the hospital before any of the parents arrived and wasn’t she closer to Danny than Maddie?

Maddie sipped her coffee before speaking again. “When you said you met Danny before the holidays at the mall attack, was it because you used him then like you are using him now?” Asked Maddie but she couldn’t for the life of her understand what sort of use Danny could have been to the agents in a situation like that.

“No he came to us. We had no way of communicating with the people inside and your son’s friends were trapped inside where as he was outside.” A smile played over the woman’s lips. “As I said your son is smart, he and his friends made their headphones work as a way of communication, they were your inventions I hear.” Maddie nodded, Jack had made another version of the Fenton Phones that would pick up ghost noise so they could easier track ghosts, but when the thing picked up Danny’s voice it had turned out to be another failure and they had given them to Danny instead seeing as they were much better than the earplugs he used when chatting with his friends. “Thanks to that we managed to get a lot of people out.”

Sipping at her coffee Maddie remembered that day. She and Jack had raced to find Danny after Angela had called her about what had happened and she had for the first time in a month been able to hug her son. And now she didn’t know how long it would be before she could hug him again, or even if she would be able to see him without thick glass separating them. “Why have you come here?” she asked coldly.

Jareau’s shoulders tightened and she met Maddie’s eyes. “To tell you that the Danny we’ve met and learned to trust couldn’t have done what he’s accused of. We believe Danny is innocent and as he now is working with us we are going to do our best to prove it.”

All the thoughts Maddie had wrestled with that night came back at her. The phone call and voicemail messages left by an officer Grayson the day before asking her to come to the station where they were holding her son for questioning. The officer had explained to Maddie what had happened at school before brining her in to the interrogation room where her son sat cuffed to the table. She’d seen that he’d been crying, his eyes were red but he looked more tired than anything even telling her of for fussing over him.

She had been annoyed at him, not liking his attitude when the officer asked what had happened. She had wanted to tell him off to get him to tell her what had happened but in the end he had been as stubborn as always. “How can you be so sure Danny is innocent?” Asked Maddie, she wasn’t even sure herself anymore. The reports of fighting had always been in connection with Dash Baxter and she could remember Danny avoiding the kitchen whenever Jazz tutored him.

Jareau made an uneasy face before she sighed. “Because he is not that sort of person and unofficially Danny told my colleague that, one moment he was talking to Baxter and the next people were shouting at him and Baxter was bleeding on the floor.” Maddie blinked, she hadn’t heard any of this.

“Why would he tell you people that and not me?” She asked feeling a bit hurt that Danny trusted these people more than his own mother. Then her thoughts caught on something else.

“Figure because you didn’t get a chance to talk to him alone and…” Jareau stopped her eyes on her dark coffee. “He was probably afraid.”

“He shouldn’t have been afraid, if nothing else the fact that he can’t remember points at a ghost overshadowing him and that is not unheard of in this town.” Maddie’s hands were shaking, Danny hadn’t done it he wouldn’t have, he and Dash were friends they did their homework together.

“But he couldn’t prove it back then and as you said it’s not unheard of and might have been taken seriously if there hadn’t been evidence saying he could do such a thing.” Said Jareau sipping at her coffee.

“What sort of evidence.” Asked Maddie not really listening, she was thinking of what to do next, how to get her son out of jail.

“Students at Casper High say Baxter would bully Danny, make him suffer whenever Dash’s grades were bad, some time’s for no good reason. Some even thinks he wanted revenge for something that happened during a school trip others say Dash had it coming. Teachers have reported fights between the two and suspect more. The boy’s father and an officer said that Danny has injured Dash before. And even if he looks scrawny and weak we both know that Danny can fight.” Jareau emptied her mug and stared at Maddie.

Swallowing Maddie felt a tinge of guilt, she had been the one to teach Danny and Jazz martial arts. “It doesn’t prove that Danny wasn’t overshadowed.” She said stubbornly.

“It’s enough to give him motive, weapon and opportunity. The evidence says he is guilty and until Baxter wakes up there is no witness so our job now is to prove that Danny didn’t do it.” Said Jareau her hands still curled around her mug.

“But you said it yourself, he looks guilty how do you prove that he is not?” Asked Maddie her heart beating fast in her chest, she had to hold on to her mug or her hands would be visibly shaking.

“By proving that Danny wouldn’t do something like this.” Said Jareau with the sort of determination that made Maddie believe in this woman.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First morning in jail Danny wasn’t sure what to expect, crappy food might be the least off what he expected.

“Who’s your shadow Erik?” Asked the up-nose greasy haired teen in front of Danny.

“My new cellmate.” Answered Erik. He had told Danny he’d show him around and asked him to follow when they were woken up that morning by an annoying buss half an hour before the cell doors opened. They’d walked out in to the rec-room where at least 30 more teenagers were moving around heading for a door that lead in to a corridor, “If you don’t get up and go to the mess hall the guards will come in and drag you out.” He warned passing the guard that was counting them as they walked past him. Erik had pointed out the different rooms like the showers and the classroom as well as where they would take him for visitation before they got to the mess hall.

Having lined up Danny had glared at his plate as the adults on the other side of the food handed him what amounted to a normal helping of food which was way too small for him, and there was no coffee. If that was not enough, the chattering voices and the noise of the cutlery scraping on plastic plates made his head hurt. “Your celly got a name or is he mute like all newbies?” asked a hard faced dark skinned teenager with hair braided in lines on his head, who for some reason didn’t sit with the other black people like Danny expected from the movies.

“Not Newbie.” Grinned Erik. “Come on sit down or are you going to eat standing.” Danny shot the happy guy a glare before sitting down beside him.

“You got a name Newbie?” asked the first teen again shoving what counted as porridge in to his mouth.

Glaring at him Danny poked at his food. “Caffeine deprived what’s yours?” grumbled Danny wondering what sort of cement they put in the porridge to make it that gray.

Erik giggled but his two friends looked at Danny as if he was stupid however a moment later the black guy introduced himself. “I’m Kevin this is Gab.”

“Short for Gabriel.” Said the other teenager swallowing his porridge and washing it down with milk. “If you aren’t going to eat that I’ll take it.”

Danny shot the man a green eyed glare before shoveling his own food in to his mouth and swallowed before he could taste it. Gabriel smiled as Danny made a face at the aftertaste. “Did the food delivery get mixed with a cement mixer.” Said Danny tasting salt and nothing else from the food.

The three teenagers at the table laughed. “Sorry man but that’s the best they can do here sort of makes you miss school lunch.” Grinned Kevin.

“Or the Lunch Lady.” Mumbled Danny. At least that ghost knew what food should taste like even if it more often than not ended up in a dumpster because of their fights. He gave the rest of his breakfast a glare before devouring it all getting big eyed stares from his table friends.

“You hungry or something Newbie?” Asked Gab pulling his tray protectively towards himself.

“Name’s Danny, not Newbie.” Sighed Danny after having emptied his glass of milk, his headache lessening a bit.

“Oh so that’s your name I was going to start calling you Glare, cus of your eyes.” Said Erik chewing his own food. Danny looked at the other before his eyes traveled over to the food line, he wanted more. “Don’t try, you only get one helping, says it keeps the inmates from becoming obese, thou to be honest I think it’s just to keep us from getting overly energetic.” Explained Erik.

Danny’s eyes moved over the crowd of the mess hall, there was over 80 teenagers in there filling the room with their emotions. Licking his lips Danny shook his head. The emotions in the room tasted like salty bread and his stomach turning on him wouldn’t make him feel any fuller. “So Dan where did they pick you up?” Asked Kevin making Danny jerk and stare at the other startled.

“Don’t call me that.” He asked feeling the dam holding back his emotions crack.

Kevin held his hands up in surrender. “Alright relax. You from out of town?” Frowning Danny nodded. “Where from?”

“Amity Park.” Said Danny wondering how much he could say and what was too much.

“Never heard of the place, is it big?” Asked Erik munching on his dry sandwich. Danny shrugged wondering if he could go back to his cell and sleep some more, he hadn’t really gotten any good sleep the night before. “Is it known for something? Like best corn or having the cheesiest celebrity living there.”

The corners of Danny’s mouth turned up in a smile. “It got a cheesy mayor.” He decided not to bring up the whole most haunted place in America. The three tried to get more information out of him, like what sort of sports he was in to, if he was a gamer, what sort of music he’d listened to.

Instead of answering Danny got information on the others. Erik was a swimmer, loved watching football, was crap at math and came from a native American tribe that didn’t want anything to do with him and he was 17. Gab ‘short for Gabriel’ was like Tucker a huge gaming nerd, could eat anything that was put in front of him, avoided physical contact and was 16 like Danny. Kevin like Danny tried to make jokes but couldn’t make them good, he played defender in his high school football team, was guarded like Danny and kept track of what was happening around them and like Erik he was 17 years old.

When a signal buzzed they all got up. “That’s the signal to leave the mess and get to class if you have any.” Explained Erik.

“And if I don’t.” asked Danny, but he shouldn’t have bothered. No sooner had he left his tray than the deep voiced Henschaw called his name waving him over.

“See you later.” Said Erik as Danny left them to hear what the guard wanted.

“Hand’s.” Ordered Henschaw and Danny lifted his hands so the man could slap cuffs around his wrists. “You have a meeting, behave and these won’t stay on any longer than necessary.” Explained the man before pointing Danny out the door in the opposite direction of everyone else.

“Don’t suppose you would tell me where we are going?” asked Danny lifting his hands to rub at his eyes. The lights in the corridor were flickering annoyingly making him more uncomfortable.

There was raised voices behind them that grew louder before a fight broke out. Turning around to look Danny could see two teenagers pulling at each other in the center of a circle the others had made. Henschaw pushed Danny against the wall. “Stay there.” He ordered before he and another officer dove in to break up the fight.

It didn’t take long for the two officers to pull the fighters apart and cuff them behind their backs ordering the onlookers to get a move on at the same time. The two officers brought the teenagers up and towards Danny. They were still shouting at each other noted Danny rubbing at his ears with his shoulders at the annoying noise that early in the morning.

“Come along Fenton.” Ordered Henschaw as he past Danny who followed the second guard with his charge in front of him. They walked through one steel door and in to another corridor, the teenager behind Danny had started shouting insults at him that didn’t come close to the once he got from Dash or any of the ghosts he’d fought.

When the guy finally decided to insult his family and mother in particular Danny snorted. “Please that the best you’ve got, I’ve heard worse insults from a five year old.” The teenager snarled something and kicked out. Danny jumped to the side and out of his way his head throbbing at the sudden movement.

The officer holding the teen was fast to react and pushed him against the opposite wall growling at the teen to calm down and behave. Henschaw had stopped in front of another door that he unlocked with the swipe of his keycard. Danny caught sight of a corridor with tightly spaced steel doors before Henschaw pushed his teenager in and after the sound of another steel door opening and slamming closed he returned to put a hand on Danny’s shoulder watching as the second officer went in and another steel door slammed close. “Come on kid, let’s go.”

Henschaw led Danny further along the corridor his gentle hand against Danny’s shoulder. “Where were we going again?” asked Danny hearing the second guard give the teens a talking to.

“You have a meeting over in the central building. Expect more of them today, we’ll see about putting you in class with the others later.” That was the only information he got from the man and Danny spent the walk memorizing his way around creating a mental map of the place in his head.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years of being bullied and hiding his ghost powers have made Danny able to suppress a lot of pain but sooner or later it builds up until he can’t hold it back anymore.

Danny was led in to a room that reminded him of the interrogation room from the day before, thou it only held two steel chairs and instead of a mirrored glass window there was a bared window looking out over the lake. Henschaw told Danny to sit and wait before he left through the steel door that clicked shut.

Glancing around Danny spotted a camera behind him. Making sure his hands wasn’t visible Danny phased them out of the cuffs and rubbed his sore skin. He could leave, just ghost around looking for information about the accidents the FBI was investigating, or he could stay and enjoy the moment of calm and quiet. He felt sure that unless he got in to a fight he wouldn’t get much peace or alone time in here.

At least a minute past before Danny heard the blip from the steel door and he slapped the cuffs on over his wrists before anyone noticed they were off. He looked over at the door and blinked when he recognized the man Henschaw let in. “Gideon!” he said surprised at seeing his psychiatrist.

“Morning Danny.” Yawned the man looking tired, his ruffled hair pointing every which way, his shirt was wrinkled and he carried a bag swung over on one shoulder and two styrophome mugs that smelled of coffee in one hand. “Got any sleep last night?” Asked Gideon walking in to the room and putting the two mugs on the table.

Shrugging Danny stared at the mugs on the table the smell making his mouth water and his mind feel more awake. He shot a glance at Henschaw and lifted his cuffed hands. “You said you’d take them off if I behaved.”

The man grunted and glanced at Gideon. “There is no need for cuffs.” Said the man sitting down opposite Danny. Henschaw nodded and walked over to Danny removing the cuffs putting them back in his pocket as Danny rubbed his wrists.

“I’ll be outside if you need me.” He informed Gideon before turning his eyes on Danny. “Do anything stupid and the cuffs comes on again.” He warned Danny who gave him a boyish grin that seemed to annoy the man.

When Henschaw left Danny turned his atetion to the mugs and glanced up at Gideon asking with his eyes if he could take one. “Go ahead I figured they don’t let inmates drink coffee here.” Danny curled his hands around one mug and pulled it towards himself opening the lid and looking inside. He found steaming hot black coffee smelling heavenly to Danny’s caffeine deprived brain.

Sipping at the dark brew Danny smiled and slouched back in his chair content to sit there with his coffee. “How are you doing?” Asked Gideon making Danny glare up at him.

“Why are you here? I doubt you drove for 4 hours just to get me coffee.” Asked Danny suspecting this wasn’t a social call.

A smile tugged at the corner of Gideon’s mouth. He pulled up a notebook and sheets of paper with printed text and empty answering boxes from his bag. “You are not wrong but I took the train.” Danny sipped his coffee. “As part of the intake procedure for Juvenile Jail they have to make a psychological evaluation of every teen that they are holding.” Said Gideon.

“That’s an answer but not to my question.” Hummed Danny the light caffeine buzz in his brain making him more alert, more like himself.

Gideon took the other cup of coffee and gave Danny a quick smile. “We had a session booked yesterday. When you didn’t show I called your phone but an officer Grayson answered he didn’t give me any information so I called Mrs Stewarts. Imagen my surprise when I heard you were going to jail.”

Shrugging Danny took a mouthful of coffee then frowned. He could remember saying something about having to go to Wishing Hill but for some reason he had forgotten that he had an appointment with the shrink. “I figure I hit two birds with one shot and jumped on the train here early this morning to see how you are doing and fill out these papers for the guy who normally do these talks. I don’t think you would answer these questions even if I asked them.”

Danny hummed in agreement, if they had told him to talk to a psychiatrist Danny would have stayed quiet probably trying to get some sleep. “Would you tell me how you are doing?” asked Gideon for the third time.

“Better with coffee.” Said Danny glancing at the window and the slowly rising sun he could see there. East Facing then, thought Danny.

“Daniel, you know what I mean, talk to me, no one is listening to us.” Said Gideon sipping at his own coffee.

Biting his lower lip Danny shrugged, he didn’t want to think about the day before, it wouldn’t change anything he still couldn’t remember. “I’m Fine.” He said putting his half empty mug on the table and crossing his arms.

“Are you. Stewarts told me what happened in school yesterday.” Danny’s heart sped up and he dug his nails in to his arm. He had to force back the memories of the day before, thinking only of the here and now, staring at the dark water outside the window. They were high up, probably because the building was located on a cliff top, he didn’t think they’d walked up any stairs the day before.

“You told the intake officer yesterday that you’d hurt yourself, when was that?” asked Gideon changing line of questions.

“Before.” Growled Danny.

“Before what?” Gideon clicked a pen and scribbled something on the answering sheet. Danny could feel the man’s eyes on his hands, taking in the band aids covering cuts and bruises on his knuckles and fingers, his palms were hidden from him but the small cuts there stung. When Danny refused to answer Gideon changed question again. “How are you feeling?”

The carefully built dam that was holding back Danny’s feelings started to break and Danny poured ice in to the cracks. Getting up he started to pace, he had to do something had to move. “When did you hurt yourself?” asked Gideon.

Gritting his teeth’s Danny closed his eyes. “Before I hurt someone else.” He said reluctantly, he rather talk about that time than his emotions.

“Why would you hurt someone?” asked Gideon his pen moving to another square on the sheet. It was irritating and Danny moved around to see what he was writing. The words in the box were unintelligible.

“I wouldn’t hurt any…” he hesitated, he wouldn’t hurt any humans, that was wrong he would hurt ghosts and they were pretty human to. Even ghosts could feel pain and happiness, they were just as much human as he was even the least human looking could be human. So what wouldn’t he hurt?

“Anyone?” asked Gideon glancing over his shoulder at Danny.

Danny started walking again. “Anyone living.” He said wondering how close to the truth he was cut things.

“Would you hurt someone who was dead?” asked Gideon, his pen wasn’t moving.

“Amity Park.” Sighed Danny and Gideon grunted.

“You wouldn’t think twice about hurting a ghost but would never hit any humans.” Clarified Gideon sipping at his coffee. “But you hurt yourself in order to stop yourself from hurting someone else, how did that logic work?”

“Wasn’t logic in that moment.” Growled Danny. “I wasn’t even thinking back then, but it worked out.” But he had still hurt Dash days later, he could have hurt him again.

Gideon was quiet for a moment letting Danny pace, then he asked the question Danny didn’t want to answer. “How are you feeling?”

Everything came boiling over. “Would you stop ASKING THAT!” shouted Danny hitting the hard concrete wall a loud bang echoing in the room cracks fishing out from where his fist had impacted. A flash of Dash scare face as Danny’s fist landed beside it passed through Danny’s mind. If Lancer hadn’t been there Danny might have ended up in a cell like this much sooner.

The door to the room flew open and two guards walked hurriedly in. Before Danny could do anything to stop them they had his face pressed against the wall and his hands behind his back. Danny snarled a curse at them. ”It’s alright he didn’t do anything.” Said Gideon getting up from where he sat.

All the emotions Danny had refused to feel came flooding back over him. “Let go of me, You Fucking bastards.” He pushed away from the wall surprising the guards with his strength. “Mother, fucking Arsholes.”

Henschaw put an elbow against Danny’s spine and pressed forcing Danny back against the wall. “I warned you about behaving. Calm down or you’ll be taken to a quiet room where you can cool off.”

Something in his words sounded funny to Danny who let out a short laugh pushing his forehead against the wall. “Idiot, ignorant fool. Prick, Halfa.” The anger left him as suddenly as it had taken over leaving the bitter fear in his chest. He wanted to be alone, he wanted to fly away and stay in the sky till the stars came out. The familiar and hated feeling of the metal encircling his wrists didn’t make Danny flinch this time. “At least in a quiet room I wouldn’t have a headache.” He said more to himself than anyone else the muscles in his arms and shoulders relaxing.

He could fight, could give them a reason to throw him in a quiet hole alone and then fly away. Danny hadn’t ever wished for Skulker to show up like he did then. If the ghost-zones greatest hunter showed up Danny would have someone to hit, something to take out his anger on. And Skulker had, he’d punched Skuler’s skull in till he got the small ghost out of his armor and in to the thermos just because the ghost had made his headache worse.

The two guards pulled him away from the wall and half dragged Danny back to his seat. “Take the cuffs off. I pushed him, it wasn’t his fault for bursting out.” Said Gideon a comforting hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“He put a five inch crack in the wall, the cuffs stays on.” Growled Henschaw making Danny tempted to pull his arms out of the cuffs just to spite him. But he kept that trick to himself.

Gideon spent a couple of minutes convincing the guards to leave them alone once more. They did and Gideon sat down in his chair having pulled it so he sat to Danny’s right. “Sorry about this but you can’t bottle up your emotions the result can be explosive if you do.” He looked over his shoulder at the wall with its new crack Danny had left in it.

Taking a deep shaking breath Danny nodded. Jazz had told him the same when she’d figured out that he was hurting. “I’m Angry.” Said Danny feeling a lump from in his throat. He was doing this, he was talking to a psychiatrist about his emotions, putting words to the things he was afraid of.

“Who are you angry at?” Asked Gideon the pen lay forgotten on the sheets of paper.

Danny’s hands tightened in to fists making the cuffs cut in to his wrists even more and he tasted blood in his mouth from where he was biting his lip to hard. “Myself of course.” He tried to keep his voice steady but it was impossible.

“Why?” Asked Gideon putting a hand on Danny’s shaking shoulder.

“Cus I don’t know.” Croaked Danny, his head was throbbing again. “I don’t know what the Fuck happened and I’m scared I did something to hurt Dash.” There it was the naked truth.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it's the day before Christmas and what am I doing, writing Fanfic, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I think I'll give you the next on tomorrom as well as a Christmas gift to you my readers.

Henschaw brought Danny back to his cell hours later where he curled up on his bunk feeling violated. Nothing bad had happened, they had just made someone with medical knowledge go over every inch of his scared body after Gideon had left. At first it had been the normal blood pressure, listening to his heart and lungs but then he’d wanted to see the scars.

 They hadn’t forced him to take of his clothes but the longer they waited the hungrier Danny got and after what felt like hours staring down Henschaw and the second man Danny had finally given up and pulled of his t-shirt.

He had seen the guard blink in surprise at his body but it was the other man that spoke. “Christ Kid what sort of fights have you been in?” He had looked at the paper on his clipboard, the same Dale had drawn on the day before.

Danny had taken the opportunity. “Ghost fights?” He enjoyed the raised eyebrows and disbelieving looks people outside Amity Park gave him when he used ghosts as an excuse.

“What sort of ghost leaves marks like these?” Danny glared at the man who pointed at the scars on his forearms.

Crossing his arms over his chest Danny had stopped talking and let the man walk around him asking questions that he reluctantly answered. “They causing you any discomfort?” He shook his head. “Have they gotten infected.” Shrug of the shoulder. “Which?” He pointed. “How long did they have you hospitalized for that one.” He’d pointed to the one on his abdomen.

“Just as long as the one on my leg.” Grumbled Danny. When the man gave him an annoyed look Danny sighed. “A Day, was just a scratch.”

 “Got any lingering problems from them?” Had he asked before telling Danny to get dressed again.

“Annoying questions.” Growled Danny.

“Any other health related issues? Says her you are allergic, to what?” Asked the man.

“Blood blossom.” Growled Danny putting on his pants.

“How sever.” Danny shrugged. “Have you had to visit the hospital for it?” He nodded. “Did they give you any prescription in case you had another reaction?” Danny had to think about it before he nodded. “Alright we’ll get in contact with your primary health care provider. Anything else that we need to know?” Danny shook his head.

At that Henschaw who had been quiet in a corner cleared his throat. “You mention a headache before. If you are in pain don’t keep it to yourself you don’t have to suffer in silence here.”

Danny had glared at the man. “How bad is the headache and how long have you had it.” Had the medic asked walking over to a locked metal cupboard.

“It’s a migraine, has had it for the last couple of days. Painkillers don’t work.” He added the last seeing rows of bottles and boxes in the cupboard. In the end they had given him a painkiller that managed to dull down the throbbing headache, though he still felt like they had intruded more on his personal space than Cidney Point Dexter did when he took over his body.

Laying in his bunk Danny rubbed his sore wrists. Then something hit him and he sat up looking around. He was completely alone, could hear the other inmates in the rec-room but no one could look in to his cell and there were no cameras around. Smiling he went invisible and changed in to his ghost form keeping the lightshow to a minimum before he floated of his bed and started ghosting around.

He walked through locked security doors and hovered over talking people listening to their conversations until they started looking for the source of the cold breeze. The building was huge and contained more than one housing unit like the one Danny was in. After an hour of ghosting around getting the layout of the place Danny had figured out that there were three wings, each with different cells or dorms, mess halls that apparently served the same crap for lunch as it had for breakfast just calling it mash potatoes instead and they all had dififrent uniforms, none of which were striped, depending from which unit one was from. The only thing they shared was an frozen over yard where they had an hour a day to spend in. Danny noticed that someone had made a snowman that hadn’t yet melted.

Keeping his ghosting around brief Danny swung around what looked to be the guards cafeteria which served better food than even his school lunch and had a coffee machine. Getting himself a cup and drinking it Danny returned to his cell where he turned back into his human form landing on his bunk.

No sooner had he rolled over for a nap than Erik’s head popped up from below. “Hey you back.” Said the guy happily. “We didn’t see you come in.”

“We?” asked Danny.

 

The bell rang signaling the end of the last period. Tucker had his bags packed and was out of the computer classroom before anyone else. Not that he didn’t like the programing class just as much as the next tecno-geek he simply had more important things to do. He stopped by his locker, finding the one beside his had been vandalized sometime during the school day.

“The A-listers.” Said Sam coming up beside him noting the broken locker that belonged to their friend. “Think they would wait till we know what happened before they started breaking his stuff.”

Tucker nodded. “Did you get his Fenton gear out before they got to it?” he asked opening his own locker and started filling it with school books that he probably should bring home with him but couldn’t be bother carrying around.

“Got it.” Said Sam patting her own backpack “I’ll be stopping by his place on my way over to you later.”

Nodding Tucker pulled out a small green object that he hadn’t thought of since he got it putting it around his neck. He looked through his backpack for things he didn’t need before he took out his jacket and closed the locker spinning the combination lock. “I’ll be on my way then. You sure I can use this, what if your parents finds out?” he asked holding up a black credit card.

“It’s my spending money, I was going to use it to buy fertilizer this week for my greenhouse and especially my blood blossom, but this is more pressing, see it as a late Christmas gift so get what you need.” Sam slammed her locker close a little too hard and the people filling up the corridor jumped. “See you.” She said and walked off putting on her jacket as she did.

Closing his own locker less forcefully Tucker made his way through the crowd, avoiding eye contact and all known bullies. He made it to the bike stand outside where Valeri waited beside his scooter. “You took your time.” She said sitting on her bike.

“Had to take the long way around to avoid the gym.” Huffed Tucker kneeling down to unlock the large chain on his scooter. “Can you keep up on that?” he asked glancing at Valeri’s bike. It was old and rusted.

“The question is if you can keep up with me.” Said the girl before she started rolling down the street. Getting his chain safely stored in his backpack, Tucker put on his helmet and drove after Valeri.

They raced all the way through town till they reached the store that sold what Tucker needed. “Alright.” Said Valeri locking her bike outside the entrance. “How do you want to do this?”

Securing his scooter to a streetlight Tucker pulled out a list from his pocket and handed it to her. “You pick up these things and I’ll take the rest and we meet up at the checkout. I’ve written what shelf you’ll find the things on as well.”

“I can see that.” Nodded Valeri reading the list.

“Let’s go then.” Said Tucker tapping her arm and walking in to the store. It took Tucker longer than he wanted for him to find what he needed, some of the things he had looked up on the internet was out of stock or had been misplaced. He had to do some compromises but in the end he found Valeri waiting for him beside the checkout. “You got everything?” he asked looking at her basket.

“And more.” She said dodging  behind a shelf selling batteries. Tucker looked around and his eyes fell on the only person Valeri couldn’t scare off. “Nathan saw me getting this stuff and now he thinks he got a chance on me.”

There was a thrill from Valeri’s wristband and she looked at Tucker. He knew what the Ghost alarm meant and it was probably Tecnus or the Boxghost. “I got this.” He said taking the basket from Valeri. “See you at my place later.”

Giving him a quick smile Valeri ran off just as the most annoying and hilarious sound was uttered. “BEWARE!!” It was just the Boxghost meaning the fight would be an easy one.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holiday everyone, here's an extra chapter to you my lovely readers, enjoy

“You think this is the right thing to do?” Asked Jack staring at Maddie over the dining table. They'd had a late lunch after the agent left around noon having explained what they needed to do.

“You don’t have to be a part of this, I can do it myself.” Said Maddie poking at the last boiled carrot.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help Mads, but you are talking about going through his room like the Social Service crackpots did.” Jack shook his head. “I’ll talk to his teachers instead, that Lancer fella will probably shed some light on the situation.”

Maddie nodded and watched her husband get up from the table and started clearing it. “I agree but I rather it be me than anyone else.” It was wrong. They had spent such a long time building up the trust they had with Danny and now she was going to pick apart his room and look for evidence that he wasn’t the sort of person who’d beat someone up.

She got up and helped her husband. When the table was cleared Jack left and Maddie found herself doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, putting off what she had to do. When she found herself cleaning the Livingroom as well Maddie knew she was procrastinating. She sighed and steeled herself before walking up the stairs to the second floor.

The door to Danny’s room was closed, the Keep Out sign glared at her. She put her hand on the door handle and pushed it open. The evening sun flooded the room with light casting long shadows. The room was as always a mess, with clothe tossed around the floor, books and homework assignments were spilling out from on top of the desk. The laptop was still on, a green ghost bobbing around on the screen. Empty cola bottles were stuffed in his paper basket, Maddie saw more on his bedside table, as well as mugs that hadn’t made it downstairs again.

Flicking on the light she sighed. Danny’s room looked even messier in the clear light. She put her hands on her hips not sure where to begin. Maddie’s eyes fell on the pile of clothes and decided to start there. She was somehow amazed that there were still clothes in his closet after she carried down five arms full of clothes and started the washing machine. She took down the empty coffee mugs as well and put them in water or she wouldn’t get the dried coffee out.

Once that was done Maddie picked up all the books and papers that was littering the floor. Putting them on the table she paused staring at the computer. She had forbidden Danny to play any more Doom2 in the night. Curiously she moved the computer curser; it stopped showing the ghost and showed his dashboard. An image she and Danny had taken of the stars through a telescope showed as the background image, the milky way had been clearly visible that night. The image made Maddie smile.

Deciding that she didn’t have to poke around in his computer Maddie turned back to the mess of books and papers and started sorting it in to three piles. One for books, one for homework and one for pink detention slips. She was halfway through when she became aware of someone standing in the door.

Turning around she found Sam standing there hard eyes glaring daggers at her. “He’s only been gone a day and you are already going through his stuff.” She said accusingly. Maddie bit her lip, the girls anger making her feel uncomfortable.

Taking a deep breath Maddie reminded herself that she was doing this for Danny. “It’s not what you think Sam.” She began and the girl cut her off.

“No what is it then, for me this looks like you think he’s already guilty, that you have already decided to believe what everyone is saying, picking through his things now that he won’t come back. He will come back, he wouldn’t hurt anyone.” There were tears in Sam’s eyes and she was shaking.

“I know-“ Began Maddie but couldn’t continue as Sam started again.

“Do you. You didn’t trust him, you put a tracker on his phone forcing Danny to exhaust himself pleasing you. And when he needed you there you weren’t, it’s no wonder he feels like he is carrying the world on his shoulders, you should just give him his space and support him. He is not a bad person.” She threw her bag at Maddie. It landed in front of her feet’s with a heavy bang and the clank of metal. “You are not the only one who raided his stuff today, his locker is broken this is the Fenton gear he had in it.”

Maddie watched as Sam turned on one heel and stomped down the stairs and slammed the door as she left. Bending down she lifted the backpack and put it on Danny’s bed opening it. Inside was some of Maddie’s and Jack’s inventions. She picked them out one by one staring. The Fenton thermos was scratched and dented, the Spector deflector was equally scratched around the lock, one of her Fenton lipstick were still fully charged but the ecto-gun she had put in his bag the first day of school was out of power. Strangely enough there was what looked like dirty fingerprints all over the gear, some Maddie thought looked like bloody palm prints.

She put the things back in the backpack not knowing what to make of it or the angry teenager who had left them there. “Forced Danny to please you. He feel like his carrying the world on his shoulders. Why.” Said Maddie repeating Sam’s words. Why would her Danny feel like he is carrying the world on his shoulders.

Returning her attention to the sorting of books and papers Maddie could see dirty palm prints on some of the books and papers as well. It wasn’t on all of them but the once they were on had been torn, burnt or water damaged. She could see the same damage and marks on homework assignments and some of the pink slips. Picking up the detention slips she read the reason for detention.

Mostly he had gotten detention for sleeping in class, ditching class, beimg late or failing to hand in his homework. Maddie put the papers back on the desk and glanced at the computer. She closed the screen and turned to the bed. With a heavy sigh Maddie started stripping the bedding and put it in a pile outside the room, she frowned at the stains on the mattress and pillows, they were brown and dark gray and she couldn’t understand what had made them.

Finding a ecto-gun under the pillow Maddie smiled. When Danny was young he would want them to check under his bed for monsters and in his closet. Jack had given him the small weapon and told Danny to shoot the monsters when they appeared. She didn’t know if Danny actually used it but finding the thing under his pillow was adorable.

Putting the gun on the table Maddie got down on her knees and stared at the boxes and pet bottles under the bed. “Do you ever clean your room?” She asked fishing out the bottles and putting them outside the door as well before she pulled out the boxes.

The first one held a lot of Danny’s old kid stuff, the rockets and space ships he had played with as a kid as well as some models he had made when he was thirteen together with drawings he’d made and apparently didn’t want to throw away.

The second was heavier and the edges were damaged. Opening it she smiled, Books, games, vhs movies and cd’s. Closing it Maddie pulled out the third and last box frowning when she heard the click of metal and glass, it was plastic and had more of the dirty stains on the lid. Inside was what looked like raided parts from Jack’s failed inventions, tools that should be in the Ops center, batteries that should be in weapons and equipment as well as a jar of ectoplasm. Was her son trying to be an inventor as well? She wondered lifting the box and carrying it down in to the kitchen where she put the things out on the table in neat rows.

She could imagen a lot of things that could be built with what he had, there was enough battery power there to create a Fenton Bazooka, but no conductive pipe to send the blast with. In fact there was nothing among the things he had that would insolate a weapon and would therefor backfire.

Her eye’s landed on the jar of ectoplasm. It was large, containing at the very least half a gallon of faintly glowing ectoplasm. Where had he gotten it? She walked over to the refrigerator and stared at the ecto-samples she had there in small jars that sometimes could be confused for jam or pickles. But nothing was missing in them, she couldn’t even see how he had collected that much ectoplasm from the samples she had, there wasn’t even a gallon all together.

Closing the refrigerator door she picked up a notebook and made a list of everything in the box before returning it all. The jar of ectoplasm however was taken down to the lab where she set out to analyze the content and determine if they had any ectoplasmic residue matching it and if so she could likely find out what ghost it belonged to.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick apolegy for uploading this chapter so late, christmas got in the way toghether with all the obligations to the family in order for everyone to have a nice time. Also had to take the chance to meet my brothers first born 3weeks old daughter for the first time, she was adorable and mostly sleept in his arms all the time.  
> Anyhow, I hope you've all had a nice holiday next chaper will be on time I promise. ^^

Danny was poking his breakfast staring tiredly at it. Sure he had gotten a full night’s rest only waking up when his cellmate once more breathed on his neck. He had wanted to tell Erik off, make him fall through the matrass to his own bunk, but the fact of the matter was that he didn’t mind and had in the end pulled his blanket over his neck and gone back to sleep. The reason he was tired was because his mind needed coffee to work in the morning, Sam would be the first one to say he was a bitch without coffee.

“If you are not going to eat it I will.” Said Gabe reaching over the table with a spoon. Sighing Danny shoved the food in to his mouth and swallowed before he could taste it. Once again it was like eating cement and he washed it down with milk.

The other table companions laughed at his fast reaction to having his food threatened and then at his face when he had finished it. “I get tastier food at home.” He said and shivered. Even food made with ecto-charged cookers were better than the crap he’d just forced himself to eat.

“Most people find tastier food in dumpsters. Believe me if you find yourself outside an Indian restaurant the food in the dumpster will burn your taste buds off and it will be eatable.” Said Kevin chewing on his dry piece of bread. Danny had learned that the older teenager was from Chicago and had grown up in a pretty bad neighborhood and had lived on the street the last year before being picked up by the police a few months earlier, he wouldn’t say why.

“Yeah, Can vaguely remember a dumpster like that saving my life.” Sighed Danny rubbing his eyes. His headache had returned that morning thou less painful, but it didn’t help hearing people shout across the mess hall to talk to someone at another table. He had stopped trying to listen to everything said and sorted it in to background noise.

That was until a teenager with a mean look and tattoos on his neck walked up to the table Danny sat at. “Hey newbie you don’t want to sit with these faggots, they make you look weak. There’s a place over at our table.” He nodded over to where a bunch of teenagers looking like him sat laughing loudly.

‘ _This feels like the movies_ , thought Danny eyeing the teen in front of him. He was taller than Danny, but most people were, had sleek black hair, cold gray eyes and was built along the same line as Dash. “You sure, cus if I sit at that table, you will all look weak by comparison.”

The teen blinked before leaning forward, gripping Danny by the front of his t-shirt. “Listen punk, don’t think you are anything in here. You don’t want to hang around pussies like these or people might get the wrong idea.”

Yawning Danny looked tiredly at the other. “Please that the best you’ve got. I know five year olds who can deliver better threats.” The other teen’s face turned a bright red. It was so easy making the other flustered.

Of course he was dealing with people who couldn’t take insults like the ghosts he fought. The guy swung his fist at Danny who saw it coming and had time to consider his options before the punch connected. ”Don’t you fucking insult me newbie you have no idea who you are dealing with.”

Gripping the edge of the table as blood ran from his nose Danny glared at the teen licking the blood of his upper lip letting his fangs show. “My mother punch harder than that.” He said and the guy swung his fist again only this time he was stopped by a guard who grabbed his wrist.

“Alright that’s enough let’s go.” He said and had to wrestled the other away from the table and on to the floor where he cuffed the teen. Danny had phased out of his grip the moment the guard got his hand around the other. “Henschaw take care of the other.” He ordered looking up at the now familiar guard who had waded through the crowd of curious teens, all wanting to have a look at what had happened.

“You are Dead Brat, hear me Dead!” Shouted the teen from the floor and got a tight tug from the officer who pulled the teen of the floor and lead him away as Henschaw reached them.

“Been there done that come back with some better insults.” Sighed Danny licking his bloody lip once more.

Calling ice in to his nose Danny whipped the blood from his face with his arm sniffing. He could breathe through his nose it just felt like he had gotten a clod. “You alright?” Asked Henschaw concern in his eyes.

“Fine, It really was a weak punch, see nosebleed’s stopped.”  He gave the guard an innocent smile. The man grunted and left the table a moment later when he saw Danny truly wasn’t bleeding any more.

“Are you crazy?” Asked Erik, he and the two others were staring at him like he was some sort of new animal at the zoo.

“What, you never heard anyone talk back here?” he asked a bit confused at their expressions.

“That was Jewel, the last person he said was dead didn’t wake up the next morning. He and his cellmate froze to death in their cell.” Said Gab crossing himself and pulling his cross necklace to his lips.

“You are to superstitious Gab. He overheard Jewel say that to this Chinese kid and the day later he was dead” Sighed Kevin poking at his bread again. “We don’t mess with Jewel because he’s got friends that don’t like us, we are the weak once in this place, we are the prey.” Danny could see a familiar shadow cross Kevin’s face.

“Gee good thing I don’t freeze then.” Said Danny sniffing to keep the blood from running down his face as he called back the ice from his face. “People like that don’t scare me and they can’t do anything to me that hasn’t already happened.”

Danny’s new friends exchanged an odd look before Erik spoke. “You aren’t really supposed to ask this but why are you in here?”

Feeling his stomach turn at the question Danny bit his lip, he had talked to Gideon about this the day before and he was done talking. “You first.” He said glancing at his cellmate. “Why’s a guy like you locked up in here?”

“Armed robbery. They are still waiting for the guy who’s gas station I stole money from to wake up after he was hit by a car. I wasn’t driving but no one believes that.” He looked down on his plate and Danny suspected that the crime itself was the easy part of his story.

He wanted to make the guy feel better but didn’t know how so instead he told them why he was there. “A friend of mine got beaten in to a coma and apparently I did it.” He said getting an alarmed look from the other at the table.

“Wait apparently.” Said Kevin. “What you don’t know if you did it or not, were you high on crack or something?”

Danny laughed. “I wish, no I simply don’t know but the evidence says I did it so it must be true right.” Right it must be how else would Dash blood have gotten on his shirt and hands. The taste of his own blood in his mouth made him feel disgusted.

They didn’t talk more during breakfast after that. When the buzz told them to go to their classes Henschaw once more called Danny over but didn’t cuff him this time. Instead he brought Danny to a much smaller room than the one from the day before with a small table and two chairs. He was asked to sit down and moments later a woman entered the room her arms filled with papers.


	15. Chapter 15

The clock on the table ticked off the seconds as Danny wrote his brain working remarkably well in the silent room. There was a ringing from the clock and Danny put the dot to the end of his last answer dropping the pen and putting his hands in the air a smile on his face.

“That was very good Daniel.” Said the woman, Julia, she hadn’t given her last name and had explained that they were doing basic tests to see how far his education had progressed in the high school curriculum for Junior students.

Feeling reluctant and stubborn in the beginning, just because he could, Danny had spent the first half an hour not doing anything at all. When his stomach growled loudly the woman had smiled and asked the guard to bring a sandwich. It wasn’t like the one they had for breakfast ether, those had just been cheese on a dry piece of bread, this had ham, lettuce and tomatoes between two pieces of white bread. She had told him that he could have the sandwich if he did what she asked so here he was watching Julia go over the answers to history questions pushing the sandwich over to Danny.

He picked it up and chewed down savoring the taste. “This is good Daniel, you didn’t answer question 5 to 9 is there any particular reason?”

Swallowing his mouthful Danny shrugged. “Have no idea what prompted the Vietnam war, we never covered that part in our history class.” He took another bite.

Nodding Julia went through the rest of the answers before she put them to the side and placed another set of questions in front of Danny. Reading the bold text on the first paper Danny made a face. English might not be the hardest subject in school but he slept through so many of Mr Lancers classes that he missed a lot of what was being said. “Is there a problem Daniel?” asked Julia, Danny shook his head. “Good, you have two hours to complete this so don’t feel hurried alright.” Popping the last piece of his sandwich in to his mouth Danny picked up the pencil and opened the test.

He went through the first half with ease finding that what he remembered from his English homework was enough to answer the questions. It was when things started to get complicated that he slowed down and stared at the questions. Danny had just put the pencil to the paper when a shiver went up his spine and his lungs suddenly filled with cold air that escaped his mouth like smoke.

Coughing at the unusual sensation in his lungs Danny covered his mouth and leaned away from the paper. “You alright Daniel?” asked Julia not really sounding concerned at all.

Putting his palm to his chest Danny could feel his ghost core beside his beating heart chilling the air in his lungs. “Can I get a bathroom break?” asked Danny suppressing another cough.

Julia nodded and got up to open the door. “Ten minutes alright.” She said and Danny got up. He hurried to the bathrooms a guard following him and staying outside the bathroom door.

Making sure no one was in any of the other stalls and that there was no camera in sigh Danny changed. Floating invisibly through the ceilings and floors Danny soon found himself hovering over the detention centers roof looking left and right for the ghost that had set of his ghost-sense in such an odd way. He waited for the ghost to attack him but when no one came Danny started snooping around, phasing through walls and ceilings till he had to go back to the bathroom or people were going to think he’d run away.

The guard looked in to the bathroom just as Danny had changed back and was turning on the tap. “Time’s up kid.” He said and Danny nodded walking back to the room with Julia.

However much he tried to relax and answer the questions Danny couldn’t help but feel threatened. Skulker might have gotten his armor fixed after it self-destructed in their last fight. The Boxghost might throw some boxes around, if so then he had nothing to worry about. Danny would be glad to fight the Lunch Lady she would always throw meat at him and he could eat that. Maybe Walker was ghosting around turning this prison in to his, the ghost warden had never forgiven him for breaking himself and his enemies out of his prison in the ghost zoon.

Finishing the last question before the hours were up Danny tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. Julia’s brows furrowed as she read the answers on the second half but she didn’t say anything about his scribbled answers or the crappy spelling, Danny had even used one or two words in Esperanto because they worked better.

She put the test together with his first one and then placed a third in front of him. “You have two hours, after that we break for lunch.” Nodding Danny read the bold text on the front page and groaned. Math would be his doom.

They had to break after an hour as Danny’s nose started bleeding again leaving two red drops of blood on his calculations. Once he had the nosebleed under control again they continued.

 

Eating lunch with his new friends Danny listened to them complain about the need to do schoolwork even when they were in jail. Danny couldn’t help but agree. He sort of felt like he was in school, he even had to pull out an excuse to go looking for ghosts.

After they had eaten, the block Danny was in had time in the yard. He joined his friends outside and savored the fresh air. Gab let out a sound like a horse pulling his jacket tighter around him refusing to close it. “Man you forgot your jacket inside?” he asked Danny who hadn’t put on the jacket he had been given.

“Is it that cold.” He asked judging it to be around -5 degrees Celsius. As long as he wasn’t wet he could stay out in the cold for hours without being bothered.

But apparently everyone else were bothered by him not wearing a jacket. “Hell, You are making me cold just by looking at you.” Shivered Kevin digging his hands in to his pocket. They walked along the fence that kept them a meter from the stone wall to the outside.

“I have a cold core, snow and ice is sort of my thing.” Shrugged Danny rubbing the back of his head.

“Well I know for a fact that people like you are the first once to freeze to death on the streets during the winter.” Grumbled Kevin.

Erik put an arm around Danny’s shoulder, together with part of his jacket, Danny was the shortest one in the group. “Don’t let these guys get you down. Kevin lived on the streets before he was busted for beating someone. He saw a lot of friends freeze to death during the winters because they didn’t want the help they were offered.” Glancing at the huge black guy Danny bit his lower lip and shrugged Erik’s arm of his shoulder.

“Look I appreciate you all being friendly towards me so let’s just go back to talking about other stuff.” Said Danny feeling like he was walking on thin ice with these people. “Like who built the snowman.” He pointed at the only thing of snow that hadn’t melted away.

The others looked over at it and shrugged. “Someone who had enough time to do it.” Said Gab. They walked in the direction of the snowman, keeping away from the people who were playing basketball at the center of the gravel yard.

Stopping Danny looked around. There was no grass or concrete only sand and gravel yet the snow that made up the snowman was completely white. “Hey why you stopping for?” Asked Erik.

Danny went through his memories trying his best to remember the snowman the day before. It had been dirty and it hadn’t been standing that close to the fence. He had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach and shivered at the thought. Hadn’t his ghost sense alerted him to a ghost earlier and wasn’t the two accidents that had caused people their life been ice related. “What is it?” asked Kevin.

Rubbing his cold hands together Danny shook his head. “Just a thought.” He said, trying his best not to do what he wanted to do.

They started walking again, talking about sports. Danny stopped listening after a while. “Hey what are you doing?” Asked Kevin when Danny walked past him up to the snowman that was a head taller than him.

Placing his hand on the snow a shiver went down his spine and he could have sworn the snow popped with static electricity before it all collapsed, whatever force that had been holding it in place was suddenly gone. The snow fell to the ground not even in clumps but as dust leaving what it had hidden visible for everyone to see.

Backing away Danny stared at the guard standing frozen his knees bent and right hand going for the cuffs at his belt, the other held in front of him making a circle, a look of surprise on his hard face. “That’s Henschaw.” Breathed Gab.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably say sorry for being late with this chapter, but then again I was working on the following stories so there's that.

Parking her old bike outside the Foley house Valeri stretched, her spine making a cracking sound. She knew that whenever Danny was out of town ghost wouldn’t attack as frequently but they clearly hadn’t gotten the memo this time and Valeri had gotten detention for skipping out on history class. There was something creepy about the new teacher, he didn’t seem as interested in his subject as the other teachers were in their and he would appear in the least expected places. Her fight with three vulture-ghosts had been a welcomed distraction even if she had failed to capture them and gotten her back bruised beyond belief.

She walked up the front steps to the house and knocked on the door, carrying her heavy backpack in her arms rather than on her back. Mrs Foley opened the door and gave her one of those smiles that only people genuinely happy to see one could. “Hi there Tucker is in his room.” She said sidestepping to let Valeri in.

“Thanks, Is Manson here as well?” Asked Valeri walking past the woman and out of the cold.

“I believe she will come later, are you staying for dinner?” Asked Mrs Foley closing the door behind Valeri. She walked in to the kitchen where Valeri could see the woman already coking.

“If it isn’t an inconvenience.” Said Valeri well aware of the delicious food the woman could make. Her dad wouldn’t get home until early the next morning and Valeri would be making pizza deliveries all evening and probably until later that night, so the chances of her eating a healthy meal was pretty slim.

“It is never an inconvenience, tell Tucker that dinner is ready in half an hour.” Said the woman turning on the tap and starting to peel potatoes.

“Will do.” Said Valeri taking the stairs up two at a time. She reached the door to Tucker’s room, it was covered in keep out signs and when Valeri tried to open it she found it locked. “Hey Tucker let me in would you.” Growled Valeri knocking on the door.

“Hold on.” There was the sound of moving objects, a soft bang followed by Tucker cursing. Valeri heard him scramble around on the floor before his heavy footsteps came towards the door and a moment later he unlocked it opening the door to let Valeri in. “Sorry I was a bit tangled up, you got what I needed?” he asked closing the door and locking it behind her.

Rolling her eyes Valeri opened her bag and pulled out a long extension cable. “This what you need?” she asked shoving it at him and winching as muscles in her back protested the hard movement.

“Perfect.” Tucker took the cable from her hands and walked over to his closet which he opened. Valeri had expected to see clothes hanging in there but instead she found that half the space was taken up by a large black box that held the servers they had bought the day before together with more mismatched components that were all put up neatly in rows cables running from the box, around the floor towards different computer components to finally connect with the computer on Tucker’s desk.

Whistling Valeri couldn’t help but admire the tec geeks passion and knowledge of computers. She knew from her dad that installing servers and making them work wasn’t as easy as everyone seemed to think, and Tucker had put all this together on his own. There was just something not right about his set up thou. He had a space between every server component and Valeri couldn’t see how he was going to keep them from overheating.

Tucker had crawled in to the closet with one end of the thick cable and was doing something behind his box. “Can you connect the other end to the power outlet.” He asked putting a flashlight in his mouth and dodging behind his server box.

Picking up the other end Valeri looked around for a moment to find the only power outlet that wasn’t being used. “It’s in.” she said sitting down in Tucker’s comfortable computer chair. “Still don’t get why you need all this stuff to hack in to a prison.” She said sitting straight-backed to keep her back from aching.

“It’s not just not just prison.” Huffed Tucker appearing again and crawling over to the front. “This has been a long project me and Danny’s been working on.” He flicked a switch and the servers turned on, red dots of light flickering to life on them. “We figured, taking over all observation technology in town would be a good way to keep his identity from leaking in to the hands of the GIW. I figured when we are still at it why not create a Overwatch system to let us know before he fly off what sort of ghost he is dealing with and if he need’s support. It doesn’t hurt that I will have enough computer power now to hack in to secure facilities like Axion lab or the hidden GIW compound up in the hills.”

“Alright fair enough but isn’t it going to overheat in your closet, you have no way of cooling it down?” Asked Valeri, she could only imagen what more Tucker was planning to do with his newfound computer power. As far as she knew he could hack in to anything already, she didn’t know why he needed more computer power.

Walking over to his bed Tucker pulled out a large cardboard box that had suspicious black stains on the bottom corners. “That’s where Danny come in. He told you, he’s been experimenting with his ice powers and he didn’t take advance chemistry in school just for the fun of it.” Tucker opened the top of the box and pulled out what looked like a faintly glowing aquamarine box the same size as the server components with one side made of metal to connect in to something. Valeri took the box he handed her and almost jumped out of her skin at the cold touch of it. “Put that over your bruises, they won’t melt and when feed electricity they keep things close to them cold, just don’t give it to much power or you’ll have an iceberg.” Said Tucker pulling the box over to his closet.

“How did he make these ice bricks?” She asked putting the thing to her back. It was a soothing cold that feel down her back pooling at the small of her back brining a chill to her spine.

Making a face Tucker started putting them in to the empty slots that started glowing a cold icy blue. “They are not Ice bricks, take a closer look.” He said putting in more of the things.

Taking the thing from her back Valeri inspected it closely. And then wrinkled her nose as the smell hit her. “Ectoplasm. From what ghost?” She suddenly didn’t feel like putting the thing against her back.

“He said something about the Far Frozen.” Shrugged Tucker. “I doubt he bled himself in his ghost form. That doesn’t sound like him.”

“Well there’s a lot of things going around that doesn’t sound like him.” Valeri tossed the thing back to Tucker. “Like him inventing something like this or him beating Dash. He let the jerk push him around for two years when he could have been doing the punching.” She suddenly felt angry. She thought she knew Danny and even after finding out about his alter ego she didn’t see him any differently, she just saw him clearer. Hell he trusted her and actually let her in to Team Phantom after that.

“You didn’t know Danny before he got his powers, he’s has always been creating stuff mostly rockets with his dad or telescopes for stargazing with his mom. We used to take apart our old toy cars and put stronger electric engines on them that let us race each other faster. His parents helped but when they blew up after we crashed them mom forbade me from doing it again.” He held up his arm pointing at a bulging scar on the inside of his biceps. “I got my first stiches that day.”

“I thought he was just this normal kid from a weird family, a bit of a clots.” She said trying to remember Danny from before high school.

Tucker finished putting the ice bricks in to his terminal and walking over to his computer desk he started things up there. “We were the different before high school. Danny had almost straight A’s in everything I still had to help him with math. When the accident happened just before we started high school everything changed. We stopped being kid’s this is the first project we’ve done since then that has been more for the fun of it.” Tucker started smashing down key’s typing something out in a window.

Valeri felt cheapish, all this time she thought she was the only one who lost the life she had because of the ghosts. That because Danny had always been surrounded by ghosts his life wouldn’t have been that much differently after his accident but apparently it had. He had like Valeri lost his childhood to the ghosts, and not only him but Tucker and probably Sam as well. He had told her that he wanted to be an astronaut but couldn’t because of what he was and he had made his peace with it content to be a hero instead.

She stayed watching Tucker type out code on his computer until his mom called for dinner. Tucker changed the screen to his normal background and closed the closet, the only thing showing that there was something there was the power cable, the thing didn’t even make a sound.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I'm once more sorry for uploading late but family takes priority, this time litter brothers birthday he turned 4 and I gave him the best gift that he broke the next day.  
> I'll try to get back to regular updates now that school starts up again and I have stable internet.

The cell door’s had been locked ever since they found Henschaw’s frozen body in the yard. Plates of food had been handed to the inmates through the opening in the door but other than that they had been left alone. Danny had taken a nap and helped Erik with his homework as best he could, mostly by answering his questions with a question.

He had lost track of time when there was the call for lights out. Crawling back up in his bunk Danny pulled the blanket around himself and turned in to Phantom putting his pillow under his blanket and phasing invisibly out of the cell. With a bit of luck he wouldn’t be missed and Erik wouldn’t notice he was gone.

Silently Danny flew to the guards breakroom where he got himself a cup of coffee and listened to the gossip. There was the worry about their friend having been turned in to an frozen popsicle and the question of the day, How had it happened?

Danny had the answer, it was obvious in the man’s pose. He had looked like he was going to cuff someone who’s wrist he held not knowing that it was a ghost he was dealing with. Phasing through walls Danny appeared outside in the yard. He landed in front of the slowly melting snow.

The snow wasn’t turning to water like normal snow but melted instead in to ectoplasm that would slowly dissolve until nothing was left. His own frost powers would dissolve in the same way. Getting up Danny looked around but didn’t find anything new. He turned around and flew back in to the building.

He flew around a bit before he found what he was looking for. An office with a computer that had access to the securities cameras. He gave the room a once over and found a security camera pointed at the door but away from the computer. Plugging in the wireless plugin to the back USB-port Danny sat down in the chair in front of the desk and started the computer.

As he expected there was a password on the computer. Danny looked around on the desk, picking things up and looking under them for a written down password. When he didn’t find any he leaned back in the chair and looked around. His eye’s fell on the bookshelf and more specifically the encyclopedia that was out of order. It was worth a try.

He typed in the numbers in the order the encyclopedia was in and hit enter getting an access granted at the first try. “Almost as easy as figuring out Dad’s passwords.” Hummed Danny for himself a smile on his lips.

Wishing he had Tucker’s computer skills Danny started snooping around in the computer opening and closing files to see what he could find out. Apparently Tucker was online and had managed to get access through the wireless access Danny had given him. The teck geek opened a chat window. “You know there’s a webcam on this computer.” He wrote sending a picture of Phantom sitting leaned back in the computer chair intense eyes staring forward as he chewed on his lower lip.

“That is actually not a bad photo of me. Please delete it.” Answered Danny something tight in his chest relaxing at hearing from his  friend.

“Maybe. Anyways how is prison?” The image disappeared.

“Not as boring as I’d thought. How’s home? Oh and check out the cameras of the prison yard I want to know what happened there before lunch.” Wrote Danny leaning back as Tucker took over control of the computer.

Tucker pulled up camera footage from that morning showing the yard where the snowman stood where it had the day before. “Home is the same as always, Valeri had a run in with the Vulture ghosts, Your locker is vandalized, What are the cooling packs made off and what are we looking for here?”

Danny had to take a moment to read everything Tucker wrote. “Someone vandalized my locker?” Was his reaction. “How about my stuff is the Fenton gear alright?” He had a second thermos in his locker in case the one he carried on his person broke and he always had a Spector deflector for when the enemy was to powerful. He had also weapons for when his powers didn’t work or when his friends needed them.

“Don’t worry Sam got them out and gave them to your mom.” There was a pause as Tucker fast-forwarded the video. “You didn’t answer my questions.”

Rolling his eyes Danny typed out his answer eyes on the video. “Ectoplasm, I told you and we are looking for who killed a security guard in the yard today.” The video flicked and suddenly the snowman had moved. “Hold it roll back to before the snowman moved.”

The video paused and then rolled back to before the snowman moved then played at normal speed again. There was a glitch in the video, static cutting out the feed, when it cleared again the snowman had moved. “Well that’s useless.” Wrote Danny with a sigh. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the ghost or even the guard before he was frozen but there was nothing on the video.

“Ghost must have a strong electric fielded.” Noted Tucker. “Wait does this mean you are dealing with a ghost not a human killer?”

“Probably, can you find some files on some inmates for me?” Answered Danny watching Tucker open files on the computer.

“Name the people.” Was the next message. “Oh and Sam says hi, and promise that she will beat you in to your afterlife if you mess things up more.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Danny’s mouth. He had felt alone even if he hadn’t been alone inside Raithshore. Talking to his friends, even if it was only by computer he didn’t feel alone anymore. “Look up Gabriel, Kevin and Erik Jackson. I don’t know the firsts last name. And tell Sam I won’t mess things up.”

“You better not // Sam.” Danny couldn’t help but grin at Sam’s quick response. “Who are these people BTW?”

“Sharing cell with Erik, the other two are his friends.” Tucker pulled up windows with reports and answering forms as well as photos of the three people he’d been spending time with.

Taking back control of the computer Danny scrolled down reading the important pieces. He is stomach twisted as he read Gab’s file. The guy had stabbed his father to death, he claimed to having done it in self-defense and further investigations showed that the man had been abusing his son for years. Danny remembered how Gab avoided physical contact with people around him. There was a sketch pointing out round marks on his chest and collarbone from cigarette burns and the mugshot of the Latino boy was completely different compared to the teenager he’d meet. Gab was thinner, his eyes were sunken in, his gaze hollow, his hair a short mess and bruises colored the left side of his face together with a split lip and black eye.

Closing Gab’s file Danny found himself staring at Kevin’s.  The black guy had been arrested for beating his arresting officer after he was busted shoplifting. There were prior arrests in connections to shoplifting, minor fights and trespassing but the one where he hit the officer was what got him sent to juvie. He had been in Raithshore for almost 7 months, had finished his junior year of high school education in jail with solid C+. He had been put in solitary a couple of times for fighting and there was a note that he was protective of his friends. The mugshot from when he arrived at the detention center showed an even harder faced black teenager with dull eyes that had seen to many horrors not to change his view of the world. There was a piercing in his left eyebrow and he hadn’t had his hair braided back then.

Taking a deep breath Danny closed Kevin’s file and got Erik’s. Erik Wayna Jackson had been thrown out on the streets when he came out to his parents and lived on the street where he became friends with Kevin. Almost two months after Kevin was arrested had Erik been brought in charged with armed robbery and reckless driving that lead to a man almost dying. He had during hi half year in jail had over 11 cellmates all of whom had complained about his sleepwalking, a report from a shrink said it was abandonment issues. The mugshot showed a teenager with long dirty black hair, scared green eyes and dirt on his sharp cheekbones. There was something ferrule about him, like he would run for it if someone made any sudden moves.

Closing the last file Danny was faced with the mugshot of himself, icy blue eyes twinkling at the camera, a crocked smile tugging at his lips. He had run his fingers through his hair so many times that night that it was pushed back from his face. His shoulders slumped and he could see the tiredness in himself. “Thought you might want to see what they had on you.” Wrote Tucker. “They got a good picture of you thou// Sam.”

Danny closed the file without reading it. “Appreciate it but I rather not.” His eye’s fell on the clock in the corner of the screen. “Keep an eye out for me, I have to go and get some sleep.” He rubbed at his face.

“Will do. See you around.” The window disappeared shortly after Danny had finished reading it together with everything else they had opened. Danny turned off the computer and got up from his seat going invisible before he flew off.

Returning to his cell he changed back and landed on his bunk pulling the blanket around himself. He had a lump in his stomach from reading about the others. It had been wrong to snoop in to their history, they hadn’t looked in to his and were treating him like a friend.

Hearing the shuffle from the bunk under his Danny scooted closer to the wall keeping his back towards Erik when the teenager climbed up to his bunk. He felt the mattress sink under the others weight as he lay down beside him. Having almost fallen asleep Danny felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

His muscles tightening Danny rolled over staring at the guy next to him. He couldn’t help but compare the Erik in front of him to the one he had seen on the mugshot. There was humor and concern in his eyes and his cheeks weren’t as sharp as they had been. “Where were you?” he asked in a low whispered.

Danny’s heart jumped, he had thought Erik wouldn’t have notice him leaving but he had been wrong. “Asleep.” sighed Danny rolling over to have his back against him.

Hearing a sigh from Erik Danny felt the other put his hands against Danny’s back. “No you weren’t in the cell. I looked. How did you get out?” he leaned in closer.

Staring at the wall in front of Danny’s nose he stayed completely still keeping himself from even breathing. His mind race to come up with something reasonable to say and it locked on to the only thing he could think of. “You must have been dreaming.” He said cursing his fast beating heart for making him nervous.

“Must have.” Erik put his head against Danny’s back and went quiet.

Slowly Danny’s heart calmed down and he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh almost forgot, the devils in the details ^^  
> Enjoy


	18. Chapter 18

Jumping in to the air Danny shot up through the floors and ceilings of the school, startling people as he flew past them and in to the open air above the building. The hairs on his neck tried to crawl out of his skin and Danny kept going higher avoiding a net that had been fired at him. Following the direction the net had come from Danny found the annoyance of the day.

Skulker came flying at him his laser sword outstretched and arching towards him. Letting him come in close Danny enhanced his fists making them glow with ghostly fire as he took Skulker’s sword by the blade. The ghost deployed his rockets and Danny kicked away from him creating a perfect spherical shield that took the blasts.

Converting the shield to an attack he blasted it out catching Skulker, making the ghost throw up his arms in an attempt to protect himself. Danny flew at the ghost landing a perfect punch to the center of Skulker’s chest, sending him flying down at the school.

Not giving Skulker a chance to fire back Danny dove at him flinging punch after punch caving the smug skull like helmet in. He knew he was taking out his frustration at the ghost but it wasn’t like he deserved it. They could wait with attacking his school till after the school day was over, when he didn’t have to split in order to keep his promise to his mom. They could take a beating, god knew he had taken enough punches from the likes of Skulker over the year to last him a lifetime.

They smashed in to the roof of the School main building. Skulker made a last depserat attempt at getting away from the pissed of Danny and shank through the roof. Snarling Danny dove after him managing to connect another punch before the ghost sank through another floor. Following Danny blasted in to the ghost with a ghost-ray that peeled metal of the bloody body.

They smashed in to the floor and Danny continued beating the metal of the Jock. His punches tuning bloodier as he ripped the metal of Dash limp body.

 

Thrashing around in his sleep Danny’s eyes flew open in a flash of green. Strong arms wrapped around his, gripping his wrist and stopping him from flinging an elbow back. Danny tried to break the hold and at the same time look around for the enemy, his breath coming out in short panting bursts.

“Relax man, Relax it was just a dream.” The owner of the voice was straining to hold Danny down. Images flashed past Danny’s eyes, Dash on the floor bleeding, him laying down a beating connecting with pale skin, gleaming armor flying in to pieced.

Pulling up his knees to his chest Danny bit his lip. He didn’t know what was real, the fight had been the same as the one he’d had against Skulker and at the same time not. They hadn’t moved through the floor and there had been witty banter. But it felt real, beating Dash had felt real, the blood had been on him.

“Shhsh. It’s alright okay, just a dream.” Erik was still holding him straining against Danny’s halfhearted attempts at breaking free. Danny tried to kick at the wall to get the other to fall off and leave him alone but Erik was good and managed to stop Danny from pushing him over the edge of the bunk.

“Leve me alone.” Wined Danny his chest feeling to tight, he wanted to scream, to crawl in to a dark cornered and hide from the world.

The arms around Danny tightened. “Trust me you don’t want to be along, Just relax okay.” Danny’s breath shook as he tried to draw in air. “That’s it, calm down it was just a nightmare.”

Tasting blood in his mouth Danny tried and failed to draw away from his cellmate. His body was cold and shaking, he was drenched in cold sweet. What had been so scary in the dream? He had just beaten Skulker up, it wasn’t before the end that he changed in to Dash, or had it always been Dash? Or was it the complete lack of empathy for Skulker that scared him, the fact that he didn’t even give him a fighting chance, didn’t take the time to tell the ghost to piss off.

“Who’s the monster, humans or ghosts?” Skulker’s words echoed through Danny’s thoughts and he pulled himself in to a ball. Both were monsters, making him the worst monster of them all. Tears filled his eyes, his breath hitched and he couldn’t stop the pathetic sound of himself crying.

“Shssss it’s fine, was just a dream.” Erik let go off one of Danny’s arms to pet his head. “You don’t have to act strong, we all have nightmares some time, just relax the dreams can’t reach you in here.”

Danny lost track of time as he cried, letting Erik pet him and hold him close, grateful for the human warmth of the man. He kept up the hushing sounds telling Danny that it was alright, that he was safe. At some point the tears stopped running down Danny’s cheeks and he had regained control of his breathing. Erik still had his arms around him but they weren’t trying to hold him down anymore, they were just embracing him, the other teens long fingers moving over the inside of Danny’s forearm.

Relaxing his muscles Danny felt Erik pull him closer. “That’s it, just calm down, it was just a nightmare.”

Letting out a snort Danny leaned in to the warmth at his back staring at the hand that was moving over his arm bumping in to the scars making a pleasant sensation. “Not sure how much was dream or reality.” Croaked Danny.

There was a beat of silence in which Erik’s fingers moved to stop at the scars circling Danny’s right wrist. “It was a dream, it wasn’t happening now.” He said pushing Danny’s head against his chest and staring down at him. “You don’t have to be afraid nothing can get you in here.”

“That’s a lie.” Sighed Danny lowering his head pulling away from the other. “My enemies can get me wherever I am.” He stared at the scars on his arms. His enemies could get at him if they wanted, he was never safe.

Erik placed his hands over Danny’s arms covering the scars. “Don’t talk about stupid things like that, I’ll protect you, so just relax and go back to sleep.”

Closing his tired eyes Danny huffed. “Don’t be a hero, that life gives you nothing but heartache. I should know.”

Pulling the blanket over them Erik stopped at Danny’s words, he watched his cellmate for a moment not sure if he should say something or leave it be until morning. Seeing the relaxed look on Danny’s face that always looked haunted when awake Erik decided to wait.


	19. Chapter 19

Maddie was one of those people who when faced with an interesting problem would continue working on it without rest until it was solved. She had lost track of time after her initial analysis of the ectoplasm she’d found in Danny’s room showed interesting results. It wasn’t before the smell of fresh coffee and waffles reached her nose she realized she was hungry.

A moment later she heard Jack stomp down the stairs to the lab. “Morning Mads.” He said a large tray in his hands filled with breakfast.

“Morning Dear.” Answered Maddie noting down the results of her last experiment. It was amazing how the ectoplasm reacted differently compared to what she had come to expect. And it all made her more and more curious as to how Danny had gotten a hold of it, or if he had made it.

Jack put down the tray over the papers she was working on making Maddie huff and look up at him. “Breakfast dear, you have been down here for two days, you need to eat.” He sat down beside her pushing a full plate of waffles covered in strawberry jam and cream to her.

Her stomach growling Maddie glanced at the clock on the computer and sighed. It was Saturday and almost 7am. “I guess I can take a break.” She said pushing back her googles and blinking in the different light.

Taking the plate of waffles from the tray Maddie began eating. “Want to tell me what’s so interesting you stay down here for days without telling me?” asked Jack picking up his light brown coffee, no doubt filed with more sugar than milk.

“I’m sorry dear, I guess I got caught up in the results.” It wasn’t like her not to include Jack in her work but he wasn’t the best in the chemical department. She leaned back and picked up the jar of ectoplasm and put it on the table between them. “I found this in Danny’s room, together with some other stuff.” She began taking another bite of food, she was really hungry.

“What’s Danny doing with ectoplasm?” Asked Jack lifting the jar and holding it up to the light. “Huh, it’s more blue than green.” He said noticing what had caught Maddie’s interest.

“It’s because it’s a different kind of ectoplasm, here take a look at this.” She pulled out her first analysis of the ectoplasm and handed it to Jack. “It’s definitely ectoplasm, I’m still waiting for comparison results for who the ectoplasm came from among our archived samples. But if you look at the ties between the elements you can see that this is clearly from a ghost that is acclimated to cold climates.”

Jack nodded running a finger down the list of elements. “We have detriment that ghosts don’t feel heat or cold, so is this one that emits cold then?” he asked.

Sipping her coffee Maddie nodded. “Likely, I decided to try and heat it up to see how it reacted and instead of boiling it started crystalizing, putting it in a freezer made it revert back to a liquid state but here’s the interesting part.” She picked up a small tray, put a drop of the ectoplasm in it and then brought out a battery.

Carefully Maddie put two copper wires against each end and let the wire touch the ectoplasm. There was an immediate reaction and the liquid exploded and crystalized in to a shard of ice the size of her hand. “Holy ghost!” exclaimed Jack having jumped back before leaning in and picking up the piece of ice.

“It’s a reaction to the electricity, I’ve been trying to figure out why it reacts in this way and how even as ice it conducts electricity.” She sipped at her coffee and sighed in pleasure, she hadn’t realized how hungry or tired she was.

Picking up the ice piece Jack turned it in the light. “Imagen what sort of ghost fighting weapons we could create with this.” He said the familiar spark of excitement in his eyes. “A gun that when connecting with a ghosts aura will freeze it solid. Or no a bazooka that instant freeze them, or hand grenades, that would be a good one.”

Maddie hummed in agreement. “I was thinking more in the lines of a cryo-gun. We always have the problem that the ghosts run away before we can capture them or they are to small and splatter before we can get any usable samples from them.” She finished her coffee and continued on her waffles.

“That would be a great invention Mads, The Ecto-freezer, no that sounds like a kitchen appliance.” Jack rubbed at his chin his eyes moving around lab. “Freeze ray doesn’t sit well ether.” He snapped his fingers. “Ghost-chiller, then I can tell them to chill out and freeze them.” He smiled at Maddie who responded with a similar broad smile.

The computer on the desk let out a noise as if it was dying and Maddie leaned over to see what had made the sound. “The computer has found a match in our database.” She said excitingly. They had encountered the ghost that had ectoplasm that would crystalize instead of boil.

“Let’s see then who do we have to hunt to get more of this stuff?” Said Jack leaning over Maddie’s shoulder to get a better view of the computer screen. She clicked on the analysis window and blinked. “Phantom.” Growled Jack.

“That can’t be right.” Said Maddie opening the exact analysis and scrolling past the numbers that said it was ectoplasm and stopped at the genetic analysis. All ghost had a sort of genetic mark on their ectoplasm, from what she could understand was it their ecto-signature that made the genetic marking on the ectoplasm they consisted of and even consumed.

Staring at the markings Maddie shook her head, they were an exact match down to the very human like trademarks that she hadn’t found in any other ghost she’d encountered. “He most have consumed the ectoplasm from another ghost.” She sighed. Phantom was the most troublesome ghost they had to deal with. He was an arrogant thief who saw himself as a hero but all he did was put innocent people in harm’s way.

“It could be his, Mads.” Frowned Jack. “The ghost did freeze the mall that exploded that time, and haven’t we seen him use powers like this before.” He waved a hand at the ice that was slowly melting back to its liquid state. “The question I want answered however is, how Danny come to be in possession of this ectoplasm? Did he steal samples from us and is that how Phantoms markings came to be on it?”

“Or is he getting it from Phantom.” Said Maddie her stomach twisting remembering the time Phantom had hidden inside of her sons body to get away from her and the GIW. That might be the reason he got home bruised so many times, the ghost hurt him and he was afraid to tell them.

“Then let’s ask him.” Maddie looked up at Jack not understanding what he meant. “I looked up visitation for that place they put Danny in, we can see him tomorrow morning.” He smiled at Maddie. “Eat up and get some rest this work can wait till later.”

Maddie couldn’t tell how she felt at the thought of seeing Danny in jail. It had been hard enough to see him cuffed to a table defeat on his face. She was happy she hadn’t seen him being taken away but the thought of seeing Danny made her stomach twist.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really happy I finished this story at the end of the summer there is like a tone of work I have to do now in school, well last term of a five year long teacher education I don't know what else I expected. Anyhow I enjoy puting these stories up for you my dear readers so please Enjoy this is one of my favourit chapters in this story, tell me what you think. ^^

Having gotten up early that Saturday morning hadn’t been as smart a move as Prentiss had thought. Apparently what had happened the day before had resulted in a total lockdown that lasted till the afternoon the following day. She couldn’t blame the guards for being casuist they were dealing with a killer but she would have liked to have been informed that her planed meeting with Danny that morning had been moved up to the afternoon. The guards blamed it on faulty information but Prentiss suspected it had more to do with her job than a mistake in her phone number.

She was led in to a large visiting room that had a barred window facing the lake, a table bolted to the floor and two chairs. Danny was already inside standing beside the window his blue eyes fixed on the light rain hitting the water. His hands were cuffed in front of him and his shoulders were tense, his right thumb rubbing the left hand. “We don’t need the cuffs.” Said Prentiss glancing at the guard who had brought her in.

The man glanced over at Danny, something regret full in his eyes before he steeled himself. “I’m sorry Ma’am but the cuffs stays on, the boy understands that.” He turned around and left the room, the door making a loud klick as it locked.

“What did he mean by that?” asked Prentiss putting her bag on the table. She saw Danny shrug and turn away from the window to face her, a bruise coloring his left eye.

“Probably think I’ll get in to another fight or break more walls.” He sighed a humorous glint in his eyes. “Haven’t actually told them that these are useless.” He jingled the chains.

“Break more walls?” asked Prentiss. Danny pointed with a thumb over his shoulder at a five inch long crack in the concrete. Blinking Prentiss found herself wondering, not for the first time, how strong Danny actually was. She shook her head deciding to leave that question for another time. “What about a fight? We asked you to keep out of trouble.”

Danny turned his face away from her staring out the window once more his forehead wrinkling in an expression she never thought she’d see on his face. “They fought, I just dodged. The guards put the others in isolation but they are afraid I won’t be peaceful when I have visitors. Can’t blame them, Gideon made me angry when he was here.” He was rubbing his left hand again.

Swallowing Prentiss sat down and let the tension in the room drain out before she continued. “How are you doing?” She asked casually leaning forward  making sure she looked like she was interested in hearing what he said.

Taking a deep breath Danny turned back to her, the tiredness she had come to associate with him was less apparent, he was obviously getting some well-deserved rest in here. “I wish people would stop asking me questions, it’s annoying having to come up with convincing lies. Not that anyone would believe the truth.”

Nodding Prentiss gave him an understanding smile. “They have to ask a lot of questions, this is your first time in here after all, they have to go through all the screening and assessments within the first 24 hours of your incarceration. It’s mostly to make sure you are not a danger to yourself or anyone else.”

Danny let out a short homerless laugh. “I’m already dead, it’s a bit hard to kill myself even if I wanted to.” Cringing at the boys proclamation of his own half-life Prentiss wondered if he really believed his own words. “Besides I won’t hurt any humans if I don’t have to. They would break if I’m not careful.” His thumb was back at rubbing his hand, unconsciously comforting himself, telling himself that he was right but not really believing it.

“It’s not only what sort of threat you are to others and yourself, but what sort of threat they might be to you. You are considered a medium threat inmate and so are the others on your block. That is mostly based on what sort of crime you are accused off, your appearance and if you have any history of being abused or victimized.” Said Prentiss seeing Danny tense up and his expression turned a bit wild as he slowly turned away from her once more.

“Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Said Prentiss watching Danny carefully. “People might see you as weak because of your kindness, but that is what makes you strong. We wouldn’t have asked you to do this job if we didn’t think you were up for it.”

Prentiss saw it when Danny phased his right hand out of the cuff. He ran his hand through his hair scratching the back of his head before returning it to the cuff with a glance to the camera in the corner. “You heard about the guard that was killed?” Asked Danny turning to face Prentiss once more, determination in his face. It was clear that Danny was hiding something, it was easy to see but the question was what.

Nodding Prentiss pointed for him to sit down in the chair that was left. He did putting his hands on the table. Prentiss noticed that the bruises and cuts that had been on his hands the last time they talked was gone, not even any scars were left. “We heard. The initial coroner’s report said he instantly froze to death but we have no idea what could do that.” She wished she could have asked Reed, the kid would always know something about things like this.

A smile tugged at the corners of Danny’s mouth. “That would be a ghost.” He said and turned his hands, palm against each other. “It’s the only thing I know that can freeze a person in an instance. I’ve done it by accident to Frostbite who’s a ghost so he survived.” Prentiss stared at the space between Danny’s hands where a perfect snowflake the size of his palms had formed in ice.

He glanced up at the camera before putting his palms together. Taking them apart Prentiss saw what looked like turquoise slime on his hands that quickly dried off. “I fund him inside a snowman made of this kind of snow. If nothing had disturbed it the snow wouldn’t have melted.” He rubbed his hands together.

“You think we are dealing with a ghost again?” Asked Prentiss, she wished they weren’t but at the same time she was relieved that they were and had Danny working with them.

Leaning back Danny nodded. “My ghost sense went off yesterday, I saw Henschaw before that and found him hours later. It’s just a hunch thou, I didn’t see the ghost and haven’t felt it after that. Could be that something Henschaw did triggered him or something that happened earlier awoke the ghost.” He glanced up at the camera again, his hands moving in front of him then he rolled his eyes. “Forgot Danielle isn’t watching, could use her abilities to read sign now.” He sighed.

Prentiss gave him a questioning raised eyebrow. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

Looking a bit sheepish Danny robbed the back of his head. “Nothing really, Wish my cousin could watch the video feed from the security cameras, then I could ask her to make sure everything at home was alright.” There was more to the story thought Prentiss but she let it be for now, Garcia had after all tried to get in to the buildings security system to check out the videos but the detention center had its own network separate from the outside world.

“I guess this job has changed then.” She said thinking. “If there isn’t a human killer then we can’t do anything. Do you want to stay here and take care of the Ghost or should we transferee you back to Amity Park?”

Danny looked down on his hands. “I’d love to go home, but if this Ghost is killing people then I have to stop him. Besides we might be dealing with someone controlling the ghost, that has happened before, then you might have someone to arrest.” He began picking at his nails. “I’ll stay here.”

Nodding Prentiss picked up her bag and pulled out an audio recorder. “I got a call from Amity Park PD, they told me your friend Dash had regained consciousness but the Doctors are keeping them from interviewing him till he’s stronger. They said that he might not remember correctly at the moment because of the painkillers they are keeping him on.” She saw Danny visibly relax and sink down in his chair.

“That’s good to hear.” He said lifting his hands to rub at the spot between his eyebrows. “So what will happen now.” He had changed the subject and changed in his demeanor turning from the expert on ghost to a young awkward teenager.

“Now we try to see what you can remember.” She said getting a wide eyed look from Danny.

“I can’t, I’ve tried but I can’t.” he looked scared, thought Prentiss. Most likely he’d imagined what had happened.

“It’s okay Danny. We are going to try something called a cognitive interview. It might help you recall something or it might not.” She saw his eyes flicker to the camera then land on the audio recorder. “Don’t worry, the recording will only be heard by me Luke and Garcia. If you allow it.” He nodded nervously rubbing his hands again.

“So what do you want me to do?” Asked Danny meeting her eye’s for the first time under the meeting.

“Just take a deep breath, close your eyes and relax.” She said waiting, watching Danny pull his hands in to his lap, letting his shoulders slump and closing his eyes. She waited a beat for him to take a breath. He did, then he twitched, rolled his shoulders, slumped down in the chair before shaking his head and opening his eyes. “It’s alright just relax Danny.”

To Prentiss’s surprise Danny rolled his eyes at her before he got up and started pacing. “Or maybe not.” She sighed. “This won’t work if you don’t relax.” She told him. Danny shot her a smile before he put his back against the wall with the window and sank down to sit cross-legged on the floor. Once more she saw him put his hands in his lap, relax his shoulders close his eyes and take a deep breath.

Waiting she heard him take another slow breath, holding it, then releasing it. She realized that he was as still as he could be, only the movement of his breathing made any sign that he was alive. “What did you have for breakfast on Wednesday?” she asked turning on the audio recording and moving from her chair to sit on the floor in front of him.

Danny’s eyes moved behind his closed eyelids. “Coffee, cereals… toast.” He said calmly.

“You went to school after breakfast? Did you take the bus?” she asked leading him on.

The corner of his mouth twitched up. “Flew, much faster, don’t have to cram in with everyone else on the bus.” He took a deep breath. “I wanted the fresh air. Would have stayed home if I could.”

“Why was that?” Prentiss found herself breathing in the same rhythm as the boy.

He cracked open an eye. “It’s not fun to wake up in the morning having only gotten four hours of sleep and with a pounding headache that won’t go away.” He sighed and closed his eyes again falling back in to his breathing pattern. “Mom’s been on me for a while trying to figure out where I disappeared of too when I skip class. I use a duplicate and get a headache for my trouble, end of story.”

Prentiss nodded feeling sorry for him. He was fighting to protect everyone in his hometown without the support of his parents. She wished she could tell them but they had promised him they wouldn’t. “Your first class was Chemistry.” She said.

“Mmm.” He opened his eyes again but didn’t focus them. “Valeri and I told the teacher that heating ectoplasm would result in an explosion. He wasn’t listening, he’d talked to Dad about the stuff and was assured nothing could go wrong. We tried to warn him, we watched the others do the experiments, turning our backs on our own. Valeri bet that Mikey would be the one to have his experiment explode first, I had my money on, Nathan.” The smile tugged at the corner of his mouth again. “We heard our experiment boil just before it exploded. Valeri managed to get down, I went intangible but the glass was covered in ectoplasmic residue.” He took a breath. “When the teacher asked if we were hurt I hid my hand’s, the glass shards were stuck to the back of my hands and had scratched my arms. Valeri spent the better half of the lesson digging glass out of my right hand under the desk as I redid the experiment.”

Frowning Prentiss took a closer look at his hands and saw faint marks that could have been years old. “What happened after Chemistry?” she asked.

Danny closed his eyes again. “Sam gave me and Valeri an earful for the injuries. She always worry too much about my scratches. Valeri had a free period. Me, Sam and Tuck had Geography. Mrs Green started class with giving us our homework assignment before anyone could skip out or fall asleep.” he said that as if the teacher had meant him.

“I slept through the larger part of the lesson. Sam and Tucker didn’t poke me so I got some good sleep, should probably bother me that I can sleep through class but it was boring, one colony turned in to a country another was taken over by the British, I’ll watch the movie when it comes out.” He fell silent and almost seemed to fall asleep on the spot before he spoke once more. “Stupid school bell rang, could have gone without that headache. Fell through the chair, hit the floor, people laughed.”

“What happened next?” Asked Prentiss watching Danny’s face.

Once more Danny opened his eyes, but this time they were glowing a soft green. “Got to the cafeteria when my ghost sense went off.” He sighed and Prentiss heard his stomach growl. “I was hungry, could use some food.” He fell silent once more.

“What did you do?” They were close to the moment Danny couldn’t remember, she only hoped he wouldn’t lie.

“Told Sam and Tucker to go ahead without me and then I went to the bathroom. No one was there so I changed, splitting. Turning back to my human form and having Phantom go after the ghost.” He lifted his hands and rubbed his head.

“What did human you do?” she asked wondering what he remembered from the fight as well.

Lowering his hands Danny was quiet for a moment breathing slowly. “I was about to go to Sam and Tucker when Dash showed up. He didn’t want anyone to know I help him with school work so he put an arm around my neck and dragged me in to a classroom, making it look like he was going to beat me.”

Prentiss remembered watching the school’s security tapes, she’d seen the taller boy drag Danny by the neck. Danny on his end had looked bored and just gone along not fighting back. “What did he want?” asked Prentiss seeing the green glow return to Danny’s eyes.

Swallowing Danny took a deep breath. “He had practice after school. Because he missed practice last week he had to make up for missed time.” His brows furrowed. “He wanted to know if we could study at his place, I’ll give you another driving lesson, that’s what he said.”

There was a flash of green from his eyes and Danny closed them, his shoulder tensing, his hands balling in to fists. “People are shouting, someone was calling my name, there is blood on my hands.” They had moved past the important part.

“Alright Danny, Take a deep breath for me.” Said Prentiss straightening a bit herself, watching Danny take a breath. “Now go back to before the people were shouting and try to remember what you felt after Dash said he’d give you another driving lesson.”

Danny turned his head to the side his eyes moving behind the closed eyelids. “Nervous. I’m a bad driver.” He shook his head. “After that people are shouting.”

“Try and stay in that moment, you are nervous, do you remember hearing something?” He shook his head. “Did you smell something?” Danny shook his head again. “Could you taste anything?” she asked ticking of the five senses.

Licking his lips Danny turned his head the other way. “Anger and fear.” He said an odd look on his face. “Salmon BBQ and sweet fear.” He shuddered. “There’s blood, my head is hurting, people are shouting.”

“You were pulled away, do you remember by who?” She asked leading Danny on.

“Lancer, he was calling my name.” Said Danny he’d broken his calm breathing rhythm. “I didn’t want that. Couldn’t think. I was angry.”

“Before he pulls you away can you remember anything? A smell, feeling, taste?” Prentiss watched as Danny shook his head slowly.

“He got in the way, I had to…” he shook his head frowning. “Angry, I was pissed.” He licked his lips and suddenly opened his eyes. They were a swirling green and blue that made Prentiss feel seasick watching them. Danny’s face suddenly went pale as his eyes dulled in to blue once more and he covered his mouth.

“You alright.” Asked Prentiss putting a hand on his shoulder. Danny swallowed, he was shaking and looked like he was going to throw up.

When Danny didn’t move Prentiss got up and got the bottle of water from her bag handing it to him. “Drink.” She ordered pressing the bottle in to his hand. She watched him uncap the bottle and take a mouthful of water swallowing. “Tell me what you remembered.” She said staring in to his eyes.

Danny pulled his knees up to his chin and stared down at his feet’s. His breathing was shaking and he gulped down more water before he spoke. “I didn’t want Lancer to pull me away, I wanted to help, Dash is my friend.” Tears made his blue eyes shiny. “I don’t know what I was helping. It was my fault.” He lowered his head pressing his face against his knees shaking. “I had is blood on my lips, I tasted it.” He pulled in on himself.

Prentiss put her hands on his, a bit alarmed at how cold they were. “Danny.” She said getting a nod from him. “I know this is hard but is there anything you are not telling me?” she asked. He shook his head. “What about Phantom what did he do?”

His hands curled around the bottle. “I beat the armor of Skulker, popped him in my thermos.” He lifted his hands to his head pressing them against his temples. “At some point we became one again. God my head is killing me.” He groaned and Prentiss decided to call an end to it there, she was already pushing it by talking to him without a lawyer or guardian present.

“You did well Danny, you don’t have to try and remember more.” She told him and Danny lifted his head to stare at her.

“No I couldn’t remember anything new, how is this going to help?” He asked desperation in his voice.

“Luke and I are going to go over the audio recording and see what more we can find out. You did good.” She got up and offered Danny a hands up which he accepted. “We’ll work on this, you take care of the ghost problem in here and we’ll see where we get alright.”

Danny looked away shrugging. “I guess so.” He said sounding like the teenager he was.


	21. Chapter 21

The rec-room was noisy and loud, Danny rubbed his ears keeping his head low letting his bangs cover his face avoiding the hard lights. He walked towards a table in one of the corners where Erik and his friends sat. They were talking loudly pushing textbox between each other as they tried to do their homework.

Passing behind Gab Danny caught sight of a molecular formula on a worksheet and smiled. “That’s caffeine, not sugar.” He said sitting down on the only free seat at the table using one of the textbooks as a pillow.

“Oh…um thanks.” Said Gab erasing his previous answer writing in the correct one.

“Did nada.” Sighed Danny crossing his arms in front of him getting more comfortable. “Any other chemistry questions you need help with?”

“You good at chemistry or something?” asked Kevin pulling out the textbook from under his head.

“Sort of, my parents are scientists, living at home it’s good to know what in the fridge is eatable and what’s not.” A smile tugged at his lips. “More often than not the food tried to eat you.”

“What sort of food eats you?” asked Erik flicking boringly through a French book.

“Pineapple among other things. Christmas turkey, hotdogs. Do you want me to go on?” Danny pulled a math book from the many lying on the table and claimed it as his next pillow.

“What sort of evil scientist home do you come from when the Christmas Turkey come to life.” Said Kevin rolling his eyes. “How good are you at classic literature?”

Danny had dug his nails in to his arms and debated answering for a moment, Kevin’s words had been true, his home was the base for evil scientists if you were a ghost. Sighing Danny scratched the back of his head. “I have this teacher who shouts classic book tiles instead of curses. Moby Dick, Clan of the Cave Bear, Gulliver’s Travels, Chicken soup for the Soul, To kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the rings. He once shouted Fifty shaded of gray. War and peace, The art of war.”

_“Divine Comedy! Fenton not again.” Danny’s fist hit the floor beside Dash’s face. The blond jocks face was bloody. Dash coughed and blood splattered on Danny’s face. He had his hand on Dash’s chest pouring cold in to the other guy. He had to do something, he couldn’t just stand to the side and let the idiot bleed out._

_Arms grabbed Danny around the chest pulling him of Dash. “No don’t.” Danny thrashed trying to pull out of the man grip. “Moran, you are killing him.” Growled Danny trying to pull away, slipping on the bloody floor. His heart was racing in fear, he couldn’t let Dash die the idiot had to much to live for._

_“Daniel calm down will you.” Huffed Mr Lancer finding it much harder than he thought to hold the skinny teenager. Danny twisted seeing faceless people run in to the room and crowd around Dash. They were still in danger. He had to do something._

_“Arseholes.” Spat Danny regaining his footing and pushing his elbows back at the teacher. In the same moment there was a flash of green through his eyes and the headache that was already crippling to begin with exploded, making him dizzy and feeling like someone had smashed a baseball bat to the back of his head. “Mother fucking.” The world spun around him as memories from the fight with Skulker flashed in his mind._

A sharp whistle made Danny jump and cover his ears barley keeping himself from phasing through the chair. “Hey earth to Dan. You still with us man?” asked Kevin waving a hand in front of Danny’s face.

“Yeah, why did you have to whistle that hurt.” Danny rubbed his ears feeling like his head had actually been hit by said baseball bat. He closed his eyes and drew away from the others as the room started tilting.

“You spaced out, man.” Said Kevin concern in his voice. “You were saying something about your teacher and classic literature.” Danny could feel the others eyes on him. He wanted to crawl in to a dark and quiet corner, but sinking through the floor in a crowded room wasn’t a good idea.

“Um yeah, he loved classics.” He scratched at his head before looking up at the others. Danny had to fling out an arm and catch himself before he feel of the chair when the world suddenly decided to flip him over.

“He you alright.” Kevin and Erik had grabbed Danny by the shoulders and were holding him steady.

Blinking Danny slowly shook his head. “No.” he said leaning forward putting his head on the table again pressing his hands over his ears. “It’s too noisy here.” His head was killing him, he’d rather have a brain freeze than this migraine.

“You should talk to the guards, get them to take you to the infirmary if you’re not feeling well.” Said Erik his hand still on Danny’s shoulder.

“I rather start a fight and get thrown in isolation. It’s just a headache it’ll pass.” Grumbled Danny feeling Erik’s warm hand move from his shoulder to his neck, making him shiver. The tension pulling at his temple lessened at Erik’s warm touch.

“You could still be hurt from the fight this morning. I don’t believe a twig like you could take on Jewel and the muscle brains he hangs out with.” Said Kevin turning back to his worksheet.

Feeling a smile tug at his mouth Danny opened an eye and stared at the larger teen at the table. “He sucker punched me, that’s the only hit that prat got in. The rest were to slow and predictable to connect.” Well that was after he realized what they were thinking and he answered by trying to get away. “Besides, this is nothing compared to what it could be.” Kevin gave Danny a raised questioning eyebrow but Danny didn’t continue talking.

Erik’s fingers massaging Danny’s neck somehow lessened his headache while the guy tried to do his own work with his left hand. “Don’t suppose you know how a stereo works?” He asked.

“Show me your worksheet.” Said Danny not moving his head, not wanting Erik to stop. The older teen handed Danny his worksheet and Danny smiled. Not moving Danny spent the next hour helping his new friends with their homework glad that he didn’t have any himself to worry about. He didn’t have to be an expert on the subjects but could help them find answers in their books and years of having Jazz as a personal tutor had given him an idea of how best to help without giving them the answers.

“How come you are so good at this?” asked Gab after Danny rambled all the metals in the periodic table. “You can’t seriously know the entire periodic table.”

Danny blinked up at him. “Might take me some time to remember all 118 elements, the metals are just the easiest once.” He wasn’t going to tell them that his mom had made a lullaby out of the periodic table when he was a kid.

“Don’t tell me you are a straight A student. You don’t look like one of the geeks I bullied in high school.” Said Gab sounding disgusting at the thought of Danny being a geek.

“Probably am, but I can hardly make a C-, E if it’s math.” He closed his eyes and lowered his head letting Erik move his fingers up to the base of his head. As he pressed on a spot right at the back of his head pain suddenly exploded in his head. Danny jerked away putting a hand to the back of his head. “That hurt.”

“Sorry.” Erik gave him an apologetic look. “You have a bump on the back of your head, you know.”

Sighing and rubbing the spot Danny sank back to put his head against the math book he’d used as a pillow. “That wouldn’t be anything new.” The bell that marked the hour rang out in the rec-room and a guard stepped out from the security station.

“Alright everyone, collect your things and go back to your cells, you have five minutes.” Danny didn’t wait for the others to collect their things he left them alone and walked in to the cell he shared with Erik. Making sure that no one saw him Danny changed in to his ghost form and after leaving a double to sleep in his bunk, he flew off to gather more information.


	22. Chapter 22

Wishing she had eaten something instead of just drinking coffee for breakfast Maddie found herself emptying her pockets in a plastic box in front of a metal detector very similar to the ones on airports. Both she and Jack had signed in for visiting Danny that morning at Raithshores detention center and after waiting for an hour reading the rules of visitation had they finally been told they could see their son.

The metal detector screamed as Maddie tried to pass through it and she backed up patting her pockets and pulling out more hidden inventions in case of ghost attacks. “Is that all Ma’am?” asked the guard who handled the machine.

“We’ll have to see won’t we.” Huffed Maddie walking in after Jack who had taken off his boots as well. The machine didn’t stop her this time and she let out a sigh of relief. She had been afraid for a moment that they wouldn’t be allowed to see Danny and the journey would have been a waste.

They had left the most weapon looking ghost-hunting equipment in the RV and was allowed to take their belongings with them in. An old tired-looking guard pointed them to a table in the visiting room where all sorts of people were meeting teenagers dressed in mute beige clothes, some wore handcuffs others were free to move.

Maddie didn’t see Danny at first, but when they reached the table the guard had pointed out for them she saw him, sitting on one of the chairs with his head resting on the table. He didn’t look up but turned his head slightly to the side. “Hi mom, dad.” He said.

“Hi there Danny-boy.” Said Jack and without ceremony picked Danny up and gave him a bone crushing hug. “How you been.”

Danny smiled and returned his father’s hug. “Hungry.” He said and snaked out of Jack’s hug, a chocolate bar in his hand. “Thanks for bringing snacks.” He said that mischievous smile on his lips as he sat down opening the candy.

“Tried to bring some burgers but apparently that’s against some rule or something.” Said Jack sitting down beside Danny. Maddie sank down on the chair beside him watching her boy take a large bite. She had thought he would look different, that being locked up would change him but he looked the same as he always did, from the kind round face, to the clothes that seemed to always be a number too large for him.

“Couldn’t you bring coffee at least?” asked Danny his mouth full of chocolate. He swallowed and licked his teeth’s. “Got any more?”

Smiling Jack dug around in his many pockets before finding an energy bar. “Slow down, and tell us how you are doing, alright:” He said handing the chocolate to Danny.

“I’m fine, a bit bored, how’s things at home?” Danny was smiling and seemingly happy that they were there. Maddie felt a bit bad at having to ask him about what she had found in his room, he was definitely not going to like that she had gone through his things.

“Ah you know the normal. Had this ghost drive past me in traffic yesterday, hadn’t it been for all the small cars around me I would have given chase but I was boxed in.” Said Jack with a smile.

“Sure it wasn’t that Boxghost boxing you in?” Asked Danny drawing a laugh from his dad.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any Maddie took a breath. “Danny.” She began getting the boys attention on her. “A woman from the FBI came by the house a couple of days ago. Jenifer Jareau, she wanted us to help prove your innocence.” Danny’s eyes lowered to the energy bar still in his hand, he didn’t want to talk about this. “Do you know her?” Asked Maddie.

Nodding Danny took a bite of his candy. “Yeah she’s a nice person.” He said.

“That she is.” Sighing Maddie clasped her hands together. “She told me that you don’t remember what happened when Dash got hurt.” She saw Danny hunch his shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You’d jump at ghost possession again, and…that’s… that’s not what happened.” He put down the energy bar pulling his hands in to his lap.

“It’s okay, we’ll talk about that later.” Said Maddie glancing up at her husband and getting a comforting nod from him. “Agent Jareau asked me and your dad to try and come up with prof that you wouldn’t do what people say you did. Jack went to school and talked with your teachers and I” She paused tightening her grip on her hands. “I went through your room.”

Maddie didn’t know what she had expected, when she said she’d goon through Danny’s room he froze. The nervous tapping of his leg stopped and he bit his lip. He seemed to argue with himself for a moment before he spoke. “What did you find?” he asked innocently the foot starting to tap again.

“We’ll for starters, I am amazed that you find any clean clothes in the morning, when everything in your closet is lying strewn over the floor.” Said Maddie trying to break of the tension.

Shrugging Danny started picking at his nails. “Doesn’t mean I haven’t got anything to wear.” He argued.

“True, I also found a lot of detention slips.” Danny gave her a sheepish look.

“None of them were from last week.” He smiled at her trying the cute look on her. It didn’t work, but she wasn’t angry about the detention, his last report card from school before the break had shown that he was trying to improve his grades.

Sighing Maddie exchanged a look with Jack again before dropping the bomb. “And a box of stolen spare parts from the garage, lab, Ops center and a jar of ectoplasm.” Danny cringed hanging his head so that his bangs fell in front of his face. “What were you doing with those things?”

Danny was chewing the bottom of his lip staring holes in to the table. “It’s alright son, you want to be an inventor like your old man.” Jack ruffled Danny’s hair. “You didn’t have to keep it a secret from us we could have helped you.”

His hands balling in to fists Danny pulled away from his Dad. “And if I did, you would have come up with some new way of kill ghosts, turning my creation in to a weapon. I want no part of that.” He glared at Jack. Frowning Maddie couldn’t understand why that made him so angry, ghosts were mindless monsters after all. Danny’s eyes flicked to her before turning back to staring at the table. “Besides if I want to create something of my own I can’t have you helping me, it wouldn’t be my project if I did.”

That Maddie could understand. Hadn’t she often been pushed in to Jack’s shadow because he was a man and she was not. How many times hadn’t she been questioned in her profession because she was a woman. “It’s not like that son.” Said Jack putting a large hand on Danny’s back. “If you’d just told us you didn’t want our help then we would have let you do whatever it is you do, but going behind our backs with information that’s new to our work isn’t right.”

“Like I said you would have turned my project in to a weapon.” Grumbled Danny.

“But you kept the ectoplasm from us. It has some unusual properties.” Said Maddie keeping herself calm, choosing her words so as not to accuse Danny as much as explain what he did wrong. “We simply want to know how you got your hands on it, or how you made it if that’s the case.”

Danny fidgeted, his fingers tangling in to the hem of his t-shirt tugging at the fabric, his blunt nails scraping against the seams. “If I tell you how I found it you are just going to make weapons with it.”

“Yes, To protect people and also to improve our equipment at home. Can’t you imagen how this could improve our chances of catching ghosts without them disintegrating.” Said Jack shaking Danny’s shoulder in a fatherly fashion.

 “I can imagen it.” Said Danny his mouth turning in to a thin line as he looked away.

They waited for Danny to continue but he didn’t, he stared down at the table fingers fidgeting with his shirt. “You got it from Phantom.” Said Maddie finally breaking the silence.

Bobbing his head to the sides Danny shrugged. “Not exactly.” He said.

“Then how. Son we know it’s from the ghost brat, we just want to know how you come to have it.” Said Jack. Danny pulled away from his dad’s hand and stared at him.

“It’s just the ice he creates. When it melts it becomes ectoplasm, that’s all, there is no secret to it.” His eyes flickered to Maddie. “I’m surprised you haven’t experimented on it before.”

Huffing Maddie straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. “That can’t be, the ectoplasm that the ghost creates ice out of melts and dissipates fast. It’s not stable enough to run any comprehensive tests on before it’s completely gone.” She had tried, they had gotten a piece of the ice and made sure to keep it cool during the experiments but it had melted and the data had all been inconclusive.

“Then I don’t know.” He leaned away from the table glaring at her. “I’m not a genius like you. You have to figure out that mystery by yourselves.” Something in the way he said that got on Maddie’s nerves.

“What were you using it for?” She asked meeting his eyes, staring back at him.

Danny’s mouth twitched down. He was going to be stubborn. “Hadn’t figured that part out yet. Kind of have to do some studying first, I sort of have some low grades to keep up.”

Maddie let out an annoyed sigh, she wasn’t as found of Danny’s stubbornness as she was of his kindness. But he got it from her, she was after all the one who had worked tirelessly for years breaking through all the setbacks she and Jack had face creating the Ghost-portal, and raised two young kids at the same time. She and Danny glared at each other, a contest of wills which Maddie had always won. Only this time she didn’t, this time Danny leaned forward and the light from the large lamps fixed to the ceiling shown on his face and in to his eyes.

Digging in her pockets Maddie produced the penlight she always carried. “What are you thinking?” Asked Danny leaning back and out of the light his eyes flicking from the ghost-light to Maddie. “I am not possessed I’ve told you that.”

“Maddie Dear?” Said Jack looking from one to the other, confusion and worry on his face.

“It’s alright.” Said Maddie gently. “Danny can you look at me?” She asked. Danny’s eyes flicked from her to his dad then over at the people in the visiting room before they returned to land on her. The stubborn scowl was still there but Maddie saw curiosity in his eyes as well.

“Why mom?” he asked flinching as she shown the light in his eyes.

“I think I’ve figured out why you can’t remember what happened last Wednesday, Jack.” She flicked the light from Danny’s left eye to his right showing Jack how the pupil in his right eye reacted much slower to light than the left.

Danny closed his eyes and rubbed at his head. “Care to explain why you are giving me an headache?” he asked making Maddie feel guilty. She knew Danny had gotten a lot of headaches lately and having a light shining in his eyes couldn’t have been pleasant for him.

Sighing Maddie pocketed the penlight again, it was just as well that they changed the subject. “You know why I shine a light in your eyes whenever you hurt your head?” she asked. Danny looked up at her, his expression sour as he shrugged. “It is to see how your pupils are reacting to light. Sometimes when they react slow or not at all it is a sign of brain trauma. Right now your right pupil is reacting slower than the left.”

Blinking Danny’s hand trailed over to the back of his head. “So what I hit my head? I do that a lot how does this explain that I can’t remember things?” he frowned eyes turning down to stare at the table once more.

Sometimes Maddie wondered if he acted stupid like his father or if he actually was a bit thick. “You have a concussion Danny. A head trauma that sometimes can cause temporary loss of memories.”

He sighed and it suddenly occurred to Maddie that it didn’t make a difference if he had been hit in the head. Dash was still in the hospital and the fact that Danny had some kind of injury meant that the other teen had defended himself. There was a sound of a bussing bell and Danny looked up as a guard raised his voice. “Visitations is over, all inmates proceed to the gate please.”

Maddie bit her lip, they hadn’t had time to talk about other things. They hadn’t gotten a chance to talk things through with Danny. He got up from his seat with a sigh. “Thanks for coming.” He said and was about to turn away when Maddie got up from her seat and hugged him. “Mom.” He protested.

“Huss, Your dad got to hug you now it’s my turn.” She felt his shoulders sloop.

“Jazz said she’ll come visit you next weekend.” Said Jack getting up as well.

“Don’t let her do that. She’s got school.” Protested Danny wriggling out of Maddie’s embrace. “Tell her I’m fine, things are fine.” He turned away and joined the line the other teenagers were making.

A guard told the visitors that they had to leave showing them out the same way they’d come. Maddie did her best to keep her eyes on Danny for as long as she could before he was locked away from her again. She hated it, her son was innocent but people still insisted on keeping them apart. Insisted on keeping her from him. She was going to do whatever she could to make sure they wouldn’t keep him from her very much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol here I am continuously pushing a physical rift between Danny and his parents and I’m planning on making more such rifts. Hell, the next story was going to come before this one and because of what happened in that Danny was going to do his best to keep away from his mom and dad. But it didn’t happen that way so no spoilers yet.  
> -  
> Alright serious talk, so because my imspiration is low and school's a bitch (Also another Fandom is calling me over) I am going to slow down the posting of this series, meaning I'll post one chapter a week every tuesday. There isn't much left to write (still a lot to post) so don't worry I am going to finish the series for you all, just need some time to do it.


	23. Chapter 23

Sunday was apparently the slowest day of the week, they didn’t have classes during the weekend because the teachers didn’t work during Saturdays or Sundays. However it didn’t prevent them from giving out homework assignments and Danny found himself once more sitting with Erik and his friends helping them with their problems untill they were told to go back in to their cells. An hour later and the call for lights out signaled everyone to go to sleep.

Unlike the nights before Danny didn’t go ghost and look through the prison or raid the guards coffee machine, instead he pulled up his blanket deciding that he was going to have a full night sleep. He had almost drifted off when he felt Erik climb up to his bunk and lay down beside him. “Can I ask you a question?” Said Danny feeling the other settle in at his back.

“Depends on the question, but shoot.” Yawned Erik.

“Why can’t you sleep alone?” Sighed Danny pulling his blanket up over his neck.

There was a silence from Erik and Danny thought he’d gone to sleep when he spoke up. “I can but then I would be waking up every ten minutes looking over my shoulder afraid that there would be someone there.” Danny frowned letting out a hum of understanding. “Can I ask you a question?” Said Erik after a moment.

“As long as it’s just one.” Sighed Danny rolling in to a ball under his blanket.

“Why haven’t you asked the guards to have another cellmate if you don’t want me sleeping in the same bunk as you?” Erik’s hands pressed against Danny’s shoulders.

“I don’t mind.” Said Danny half asleep. He felt Erik snake his arms around him, holding Danny against his warm chest, just as he drifted off to sleep.

 

The all too familiar shiver went up Danny’s spine. and he opened his glowing green eyes to stared at his breath visibly escaping his mouth. With hardly an effort Danny had sunk through the matters of his bunk and turned in to Phantom. He waited for a moment to hear if Erik had woken up. Not hearing anything Danny phased through the wall invisible.

This time he concentrated on his ghost sense letting it guide him in the direction of the ghost. He thought the ghost was moving around till he phased through a cell door in to an icy cold cell, where frost covered every surface and icicles hung from the bunks where two shivering forms lay curled up. A dark lean form hovered in the center of the room emitting the cold.

“Hey Frosty get lost.” Said Danny turning visible and flinging a ghost-ray at his enemy. The ghost jerked and got his hands up in time to protect himself from the worst of the blast, but he was still sent through the back wall of the cell.

Drawing the cold of the room in to himself Danny followed the ghost attacker a second ghost-ray already charging in his hands. He got through the wall and flinched away as a blast of ice came at his head. “Missed Me.” He taunted, sending a ray at the ghost.

The ghost dodged but the glow of the ghost-ray illuminated his face long enough for Danny to recognize him. “Gab!?” He shouted in surprise and then had to dodge in order to avoid Gab’s next blast of cold.

“Who the heck is this creep?” Asked Gab, forcing Danny to fly around him in a circle as he blasted away at him. They were in the mess hall and Danny had enough space to fly around without losing sight of Gab.

“Watch who you are calling a creep.” Shouted Danny back flinging a weak ghost-ray at him not sure what he was dealing with. He had been around Gab before and the kid hadn’t triggered his ghost-sense, so what was different, how did he have ghost powers.

Gab jumped out of the way of the blast and flew after Danny. “What sort of name is Phantom anyways? What are you? A ghost or something, get lost this is my territory.” He flung a large charge at Danny who dove through a wall escaping out in to the yard.

He immediately shot up in to the air. A moment later Gab was through the wall as well looking left and right for him. “Head’s up.” Shouted Danny diving at Gab going intangible.

Gabriel threw his arms up, but it didn’t protect him from Danny as he tried to overshadow the other. Normally Danny would have gotten complete control over another human but this time it was like entering Paulina when Tucker had overshadowed her. Another force was there, stronger, cooler and emotionless forcing Danny out with a roar that made his bones shake.

Danny was flung out of Gab’s body and scraped along yard his knees and palms burning from the gravel digging through the fabric of his suit. He pushed himself up, finding Gab’s blue eyes staring at him. “Did you just try and overshadow me?” He asked something wild in his expression.

“Well you are already possessed so figured it wouldn’t hurt. Tell me who am I speaking to, the human or the ghost?” Asked Danny taking his chance to catch his breath and try figuring out how best to attack the problem.

“Me, Gabriel! What are you doing here Phantom.” He made Danny’s name sound like an insult, but at least he was using it, ghost in Amity Park would call him child or whelp, never by his name.

“Heard a spoke was freezing people, came to see what I was dealing with.” He was dealing with a human alright, Gab’s talking to him didn’t seem like something the ghost inside of him would do, it had been to bestial. Danny took a steep to the side and Gab mimicked him. “Thought I was going to fight Klemper but guess a possessed human will have to do.”

Gab flung a blast of ice at Danny who dodged. “Shut up. I’ll give you this chance to get out of my territory or I’ll freeze you too.” He flung another blast at Danny but missed.

“Humm, Let me think about it. No. Can’t let you kill any more people, it’s already bad enough you’ve killed a guard and two teenagers, I won’t let you take anyone else’s life.” He flung a ghost-ray at Gab, aiming for the ground in front of him flinging up gravel in the other teens face.

He saw Gab fling up his arms protecting his eyes and flew at him aiming a fist at his stomach. His punch didn’t connect as Gab moved in the last moment and Danny suddenly found himself wide open for an attack. He went intangible in the hopes of avoiding the attack.

The kick Gab landed knocked the air out of his nonexistent lungs sending him sprawling on the gravel once more. Gasping for air Danny got to his feet’s in time to get his hands up in a guard position catching the next high kick on his forearms that went oddly numb from the blow. He didn’t move his arm’s fast enough to block Gab’s fist, letting it hit his face and rolling with the blow lessening the impact as light exploded in front of his eyes before his vision blurred.

Danny tried to get away from the fast punches that were harder than he expected, almost like Gab’s fists and legs were made of stone. He stumbled back redirecting one of Gab’s punches, moving against the protests of his ribs in order to throw Gab over his hip and on to the ground turning his arm back in a painful angle.

Gab screamed and wriggled under Danny who put a knee against the other guys spine. “This is hurting me more than you.” He huffed putting his hand against the others back and turning it intangible he sank it in to the other a cold and warm sensation at the same time.

“No No, don’t!” Gab sounded panicked as Danny fingers touched something ghostly inside of him. “No no no no NO!” A sudden cold blast sent Danny flying in to the air and crashing down on the ground.

He groaned getting up on all four, shivering suddenly feeling cold. “The hell was that?” He asked looking up at Gab who was getting to his feet’s.

“Don’t you ever lay a hand on us again.” His eyes glowed a solid red and before Danny knew how he did it the other teen had kicked him again, this time he heard the cracking sound of his ribs breaking. “You trash.” He kicked again his kick catching on a half formed shield shattering it and catching Danny on the head opening up the old scar on his forehead. “You piece of filth.” Danny rolled back over his head avoiding the next kick and getting back on his feet’s.

Gab flung a fist at Danny who pushed it to the side getting inside Gab’s guard and landing an elbow in the others face making him stumble backwards his hands over his bloody nose. Danny backed off catching his breath again and staring at Gab waiting for the next attack.

Wiping away the blood running from his mouth Gab stared at his bloody hand which Danny realized was gleaming like ice in the light from the many lamps on the prison exterior. “That was an unexpected one.” He said sniffing and wiping his nose again. “Guess I should have listened to you old man, Phantom isn’t someone I should underestimate.” His eyes gleamed red.

Danny sidestepped and got an arm and knee up in time to guard against the fast kick Gab somehow threw at him within the blink of an eye. He jabbed at the others face and suddenly found himself on the other end of the throw he’d pulled on Gab earlier, landing face first in the gravel and getting his arm pulled up behind him. “Two can play this game.” Giggled Gab tugging at Danny’s arm making him scream in pain.

Still giggling Gab placed a knee against the small of Danny’s back when he tried to push up of the ground. A siren like the one they’d heard when the frozen guard was discovered made Gab stop and look up. “They can’t have figured out I’m gone yet.” He said and then paused. “Right, Sorry pall, but we’ll have to end the fight here.”

He let go of Danny’s arm and stood up pressing his foot down on Danny’s head. “Hope you don’t mind being found like that stupid guard O Great One.” Danny’s eyes widened and he stared up at Gab in time to see the white frost power charge in his hand before his world became one of pain and darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you have it, care to guess who the bad guy is? Also thank you all for your suport of this series, it is really apriciated. Fell free to leave a comment or kudos, if you want to geek off with me you can always contact me on Tumblre, I'm Tusbaki94 there as well.  
> Untill next time then. <3


	24. Chapter 24

The silent suffering was familiar, like a smell, bringing memories from a past experience with it. Unlike the first time Danny had found himself frozen he now knew that the suffering was only temporary. He could stop it, he just had to take it all in, absorb it in to his core and hope his ghost form could handle it better than his human body had.

He imagined the ice around him like treads connected to his core, slowly pulling and rolling them in, wrapping them in to the calm center of his being. It was different compared to the first time he thawed himself. Back then the power had all been drawn in to him at once. This time it slowly melted the ice around him until he yanked the last piece of thread in to his core and the ice turned in to ectoplasm around him leaving Danny dazed and staring up at the starless sky.

He wasn’t really aware of how he got up of the ground, or how he made it back to his cell, the only thing on his mind was that he needed to hide. If Gab found out that he wasn’t a frozen block of ectoplasmic ice, he would try and kill him again and if that happened Danny was sure he’d die.

At some point Danny had turned back to his human form, blood running down the side of his face, every breath feeling like someone was pushing spikes in to his lungs. He fell through the ceiling of his cell and landed in his bunk letting out a groan. He wasn’t aware enough to hear Erik yelp.

The older teen sat bolt upright in the bunk when Danny’s half wet, ice cold form landed beside him. “Seriously Dud, that’s cold.” He said staring down on his half-conscious cellmate. “What did you do stick your head in the toilet or something?” He asked seeing Danny’s sleek wet hair.

Danny shook his head before he rolled over to lay on his side shivering so hard his muscles started to cramp. His teeth clattered against each other as he tried to rub warmth in too his numb fingers. He was tired, wanted to sleep, to rest, get his strength back and sleep. “Hey man! Are you alright?” asked Erik putting his and on Danny’s shoulder.

The touch was like fire on his skin and Danny hissed in pain. “What’s wrong?” Erik pushed Danny over to lay on his back. Danny saw his eyes widen as he got a look of his face. “What the hell happened?” he asked turning to jump down from the bunk.

Flinging out a hand Danny gripped Erik’s wrist, drawing in a sharp breath at the burning sensation. “Don’t I’m fine.” He said but between his shivering and clattering teeth’s it sounded more like. “Duff…imf…f…ein.” Erik stared at him, Danny leveled his fuzzy gaze at the other. “I’m…m… Fin..ne.” he managed before letting go of the other rolling back over on his side trying to curl in to a ball without any luck.

He wasn’t sure if Erik was going to call the guards or not, maybe he should, or better he didn’t. Danny let his eyes fall close and tried stopping the shakes long enough for him to fall asleep. He felt Erik’s warm presence against his back before the other teen even came near him. “Here, you are freezing.” He said pulling the blanket over them both.

“Should see… the other… guy.” Said Danny pulling away from Erik as he moved in closer. The older teen put an arm around Danny who whimpered as pain shot through his chest. “Don’t… Don’t do that.”

Moving very carefully Erik placed his arm around Danny’s shoulder pulling him back against him. “What happened. Was it the Reith of Raithshore?” He snaked his other hand under Danny’s shirt and under him putting a burning hand on Danny’s belly drawing him even closer.

Hyperventilating Danny closed his eyes against the pain of the man’s body-heat. He had noticed it before, Erik was warmer than normal people, his warm hands had eased his headache, but now he felt like he was getting first degree burns from the guy. “God You are freezing.” He moved the arm around Danny’s shoulder getting it under Danny’s t-shirt and pulling it up.

“What… are you …d…doing?” asked Danny digging his cold hand’s in to his armpits to warm them up.

“Skin to skin contact helps when sharing body heat, besides this is soaked, you’ll catch a cold if you already haven’t.” Explained Erik helping Danny out of his still wet and sticky t-shirt.

“Depends on… how you d…define a cold.” Having his back pressed against Erik’s chest was like standing with the back towards a burning building, sending a shiver through his body and at the same time relaxing the straining muscles in his back.

 Slowly Danny started feeling warmer and he feel in to a feverlike sleep where images blurred together in a kaleidoscopic way, warping everything out of proportion and without any real story to it. He had a sense that something had happened that he should take more seriously but at the same time he didn’t care enough for it to be important.

 

When the bell that told the inmates to wake up rang Danny hunched his shoulders and leaned in to the warmth at his back. His chest was still hurting and he had a headache that could compare with the worst of them. Uncurling his legs, his knees protested feeling tight and swollen. Erik’s arms were still around him, holding him lightly.

As Danny began moving Erik stirred to life and pulled Danny tighter drawing a gasp from Danny that made him let go at once. “Sorry, sorry.” He said sitting up.

“Not your fault.” Sighed Danny rolling over to lay on his back trying to remember why he was feeling like he’d fought Valeri without his ghost-powers again.

The older teen made a sucking sound through his teeth’s staring down at Danny. Danny gave the guy a tired look feeling his eyes move over his chest. “What, happened to you?” asked Erik unable to tear his eyes from Danny.

Rubbing at his head Danny felt flakes of dried blood fall from his cheek. “You said something about a Reith, What is that?” he asked instead of explaining his bruised and scarred appearance.

“It’s sort of a ghost story around here, but if he attacked you we should tell the guards.” Erik jumped down from the bunk and started looking around. “There were these other guys who got killed by the Reith and he was probably the one to kill Henschaw.” He found his t-shirt and tugged it on over his head.

“You can’t tell the guards.” Sighed Danny sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, his vision blurred for a moment as blood rushed to his head.

“Why not? Have you looked at yourself you can’t tell me that that doesn’t hurt.” He waved a hand at Danny who gave him a flat look.

“I’ll talk with the guards alright. Just let me do it in my own time.” Danny stared at the floor wondering how he was going to get down without his knees or ribs hurt. He could just float down, but then Erik might notice.

“Okay but you better do it today or I will.” He stopped talking and frowned up at him before a large smile spread across his face. He crossed his arms and looked up at Danny leaning against the wall. “You can’t get down.” He said a smug smile on his lips.

“I can.” Protested Danny. “It’s just a question of how much it’s going to hurt.” he avoiding Erik’s eyes.

The other teen waited a moment watching Danny wriggle around to try and get down from his bunk without pain stabbing through him. “Here I’ll help.” He finally said putting his right foot on the lower bunk and offering Danny his hand. “Step on my leg and you’ll get down.”

Danny glared stubbornly at the other teen not taking his hand. “Come on, it’s just the two of us here you don’t have to act tuff.” Sighed Erik taking Danny’s hand. Swallowing his pride Danny put his foot on Erik’s knee and slid of the bunk keeping his balance thanks to the others helping hand. “Gee You weigh next to nothing.” Said Erik as Danny put his whole weight on him.

“Hyper metabolism.” Sighed Danny stepping on the lower bunk before getting down on the floor with less effort than it would have taken him to getting down on his own.

“You are one of those.” Said Erik sitting down on his bunk, pull his shoes out from under it. Danny shrugged and walked over to the sink/toilet in the far corner where a metal mirror hung.

The reflection showed caked blood on the left side of his face and in his hair, he had a black eye and there was scrapes on his jaw from when he hit the gravel the last time. Turning on the water he started cleaning of the blood, taking short measured breaths in order to avoid the pain of broken ribs. It was a bit annoying, the ribs Valeri had broken had just healed, letting him breath normally again.

Splashing water in his face for a few minutes Danny dried off and stared at his reflection once more. With the blood gone he looked less like he’d just been in a fight and more like he’d crashed in to the ground a couple of times. He sighed and straightened glancing down on his body. A large black bruise went from his left side to his right in a uniformed ribbon. “You look like hell you know that.” Said Erik staring at him from his seat on the lower bunk.

Danny let out a short laughed and picked up his dry t-shirt. “I’ve looked worse on school-photos. This will fade in a day or two.” The bruises would but the ribs could take a week or two to heal.

Erik watched Danny struggle to put the t-shirt on, a puzzled look on his face. When Danny finally got the t-shirt on and sat down beside him to put his shoes on the other teen looked away. He didn’t say anything until the bell bussed again and the cell doors unlocked. “Great breakfast I’m starving.” Said Danny getting up and wincing when his knees protested.

Gingerly Danny let his powers cool down his knees easing the pain. He caught a glance from Erik who reached out to help Danny. Rolling his eyes Danny walked past him out of the cell and joining the rest of the inmates heading for breakfast. Erik caught up to Danny just as the guard watching them pass stopped him.

“What happened to your face Fenton?” Asked the guard glancing over at Erik.

“Fell out of bed.” Yawned Danny scratching at the small cuts on his jaw. “Is there a problem or can we get to breakfast?” The guard shrugged and let them continue.

“Why did you lie?” Asked Erik once they were out of earshot from the guard.

Turning in to the mess-hall Danny looked over his shoulder at Erik. “Do you always tell the truth?” He asked getting in to line with the others catching a glimpse of Kevin at the head of the line. “I don’t and I’ve been told I’m a terrible liar.”

“Point. But falling out of bed, you could have just told him you fell down the stairs.” They each got a tray letting the food-personal put food on them.

“It’s more likely to roll out of the bunk than it is to fall down a stair when we are on the first floor and can’t really fall down the stairs in a 4 by 4 cell.” Getting his food Danny walked over to where Kevin was sitting by himself. “Hey where’s Gab?” he asked sitting down.

“He’s not feeling that good, said he was going to sleep in.” Yawned Kevin poking at his food. “Must be something going around, Jewel and his cellmate apparently wasn’t feeling that hot either.”

“Go figures.” Danny started wolfing down his food getting stares from the others. He finished his food in record time still hungry. He glanced at the others food and they both pulled their trays away from him. “Great I’ll just get a burger then.” He sighed.

“Did the two of you have a fight?” asked Kevin staring at Danny’s black eye.

Erik gave Danny a shocked look getting a bored one from him. “No…” He gave Danny that look like he was going to tell a secret, leaning over the table. “He said the Reith attacked.”

“What!” Exclaimed Kevin leaning forward. “What happened?”

“Nothing, He said Reith I asked what he meant.”  Said Danny scratching at his itching knee.

“Don’t say it was nothing, you were shaking like a leaf, cold as ice.” Growled Erik stabbing at his food.

“Cold core, you are too warm to feel the difference between cold and frozen.” Sighed Danny rolling up one leg of his pants to get a better look at his knee. He made a face at the dried blood covering scratches and what looked like pieces of gravel still lodged in the wounds. “Who is this Reith anyways?”

Kevin and Erik exchanged a look. “It’s just an urban legend, or maybe a ghost story.” Kevin said looking at Erik who shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. “You can ask anyone around here and you’ll hear a different story every time. Some say he was one of the guys who built this place and froze to death. I heard another say he was a kid who jumped of the cliff and he’s haunting this place because it made him take his own life. There’s also the story about the kid who hung himself in his cell because of some prank other inmates played on him.”

“So there’s no real ghost story.” Sighed Danny picking out gravel from his knee dropping it on the floor.

“Well the story of how he died change but whenever anyone do something that hurts someone in here the Reith will hurt them back.” He finished his porridge. “You remember Gab saying that this Chinese kid got killed because Jewel threatened him.” Danny nodded. “Well that’s because he made a fool of Jewel during class. I don’t know what happened but apparently he got Jewel sent to isolation for a couple of hours. Next morning he and his cellmate are both frozen and there is no sign of how it happened.”

“That sounds more like a ghost story.” Danny tugged down his pants leg and rolled up the other finding a matching wound on the other knee as well. “But if that was true shouldn’t the Reith have been after me for screwing with Jewel the other day?”

Kevin shrugged. “He started it, he made his bed so to speak. What are you doing?” He stretched over the table and winced seeing the scratches on Danny’s knees. “That looks like it hurts.”

Shrugging Danny tugged down that pants leg as well. “meh had worse. If there’s nothing more to this story, I think I’ll go back to sleep, see yah later.” Danny got up and left the others. He wanted to check some things out but he had to leave a double in order to not get found out.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update, I honestly have so much on my mind now with work, and got a motherfucking cold last week that knocked me out till last weekend ^^. But I have a week free from most of that worry now and I'm going to spend it at my Dad's place, so I am updating this chapter today because I'm not brining my computer.  
> Hope you all enjoy.

The scent of fried food and cheap coffee filed the crowded burger joint as the breakfast crowd started to thin. “Here you go sir, two coffee, will there be anything else?” said the cashier with a too broad smile that didn’t quit reach her tired eyes.

“No thank you.” Said Luke taking the two mugs, turning around he bumped in to a man in a dark hood. “Sorry.” The shrugged and moved over to the back of the line. Not giving the man another thought he walked over to the table in the corner where Prentiss had saved a seat. “When do you think the kid will arrive?” He asked handing her the second mug.

Prentiss covered her mouth as she yawned. “Excuse me.” She accepted the mug. “He said on the phone to meet him here, he forgot to say a time.” She sipped at the bitter coffee scanning the crowd.

Sitting down Luke looked over his shoulder but couldn’t pick out Danny from the crowd. “You think he finished the job already?” He asked turning back to face Prentiss.

“Possibly, he said it was ghost related so might be he dealt with the ghost.” Prentiss eyes landed on an older man wearing a dark hoodie with flowing white hair sticking out from beneath the hood. “Could just be he wanted some good food.”

“I don’t think this qualifies as good food.”  Luke sipped his coffee. “So if he’s finished the job should we bring him home right away or let him stay. He sort of have a job to do in Amity Park.”

Feeling a smile tug at her mouth Prentiss sipped her coffee. “It’s up to Danny but I rather have him in a jail we can get to him at without having to go through all this red tape and rules.” She put down the mug and glanced down at her watch. “It’s been fifteen minute since he called, It takes teen to drive up to Raithshore.” She frowned. “How do you think he’getting here?”

“Knowing that kid, he’ll fly right in here scaring the crap out of me.” Sighed Luke drinking a mouthful of coffee.

“Or he might just walk up to you.” Said the white haired man carrying a tray with three burgers with fries, two large soda and a large coffee. Luke choked when he recognized the young face under the hood.

Prentiss smiled having recognized the teen’s black jumpsuit and faintly glowing eyes. “Hi Danny, you hungry?” Said Prentiss scooching in to the corner letting Danny take her seat. He sat down and unwrapped the first of his three burgers digging in with the same kind of hunger she’d seen in the interrogation room at Amity Park PD.

“Starving, the food at that place is barley eatable and contains hardly any calories.” He pushed back his hood getting it out of the way. Both Luke and Prentiss flinched when they saw his face. He had a black eye, a cut over his left eyebrow and scratches on his jaw that matched the road rash on the palm of his hands. “I heal faster on a full stomach.”

“Gee what happened? And how did you pay for that?” Asked Luke watching the first burger disappear in record time before Danny dug in to the second.

“Emergency cash, and had a run in with our ghost.” Answered Danny stopping long enough to sip his soda before finishing his burger. “Turns out we are dealing with a guy controlling a ghost, or maybe working with one. Haven’t figured that one out yet.”

“So our problem is fixed?” Asked Prentiss. She watched as Danny unwrapped his third burger and didn’t even take a bite but shoved it in to his mouth. “Okay slow down before you choke.”

Danny chewed and washed down the burger with the rest of his first soda. “Can’t choke if I don’t breath.” He smiled and started popping fries in to his mouth. Prentiss stared not really sure what he meant about not breathing. “And our problem isn’t fixed but I think we’re dealing with a yeti.” He winced pressing a hand against his chest, drinking some soda before he continued his eating.

“Yeti like the once we meet when we went after Jareau in the spoke zone?” Asked Luke drinking his coffee.

“Think so didn’t see him but he called me Great One and only the yetis do that.” He said calming down in his eating.

“So why did you want to speak with us if you have the ghost under control?” Asked Luke.

Shrugging Danny sipped his soda. “Mostly cus I needed food, and the one working with the ghost is Gabriel something. He’s a friend to the guy I’m sharing a cell with and I sort of have the same problem dealing with him as I had dealing with the Ripper Ghost.” He finished of his fries licking the salt of his fingers as Luke wrote down the name Danny had just dropped.

“What problem was that? You took care of the Ripper easily enough no one got hurt.” Said Prentiss thinking back to how Danny had fought Jareau in the dark foggy streets of London and won.

Rolling his eyes Danny leaned back holding his coffee in his hands. “The problem is that the ghost is inside a human. I got great powers that can blast holes through buildings if I’m careless. Imagen what that would do to any of you.” He sipped the coffee watching the two agents consider his words.

“You are saying you can’t get to the ghost without hurting the human he’s inside.” Said Prentiss getting a nod from Danny. “How do you plan on taking care of the ghost then?”

Danny scratched at the cuts on his jaw. “I’m going to make a field trip to the Ghost Zone, Talk to Frostbite and see if he can help. Might stop by Sam and Tucker and hear if they have some idea that doesn’t involve a huge dreamcatcher.”

“Won’t people notice if you are missing?” Said Luke asking the same question Prentiss was thinking of.

“No, I have a double already in place.” He stopped scratching his jaw and looked up at Prentiss. “Here’s the thing. I can handle the ghost, but Gab, he needs help. The thing inside of him is a seriously messed up and is messing him up as well. I think he’s the one killing people using the ghost’s powers.”

Prentiss sighed. “Alright, If you deal with the ghost we’ll make sure your friend gets help.”

Sighing Danny picked up the phone they had given him, checking the time. “If I leave now I might get home in time for lunch.” He smiled up at the other who had given him a shocked look. “Don’t worry no one will see me.”

Prentiss should have guessed Danny would do something dramatic, disappearing in front of them leaving only the coffee mug hovering in the air was something she’d expected. “You better not get spotted.” She said.

“I won’t.” Said Danny finishing his coffee and putting it down on the tray. “I’ll see you when I’ve got some news for you.” His disembodied voice floated around their heads before the chill that had accompanied him disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of thoes chapters that I really wanted to happen in the overall series and here it worked out quiet nicely. If you have any thought don't hessitate to ask, or leave a comment, It makes me really happy to hear from my lovely readers.


	26. Chapter 26

Hovering high above the city skyline Danny pulled out a compass from one of his pockets and looked down on it. Had it been night he would have flown over the clouds to navigate by the stars, but seeing as it was a dull gray morning he used the compass to pick out his heading.

Pocketing the thing Danny shot off in the direction of Amity Park, his legs merging in to a ghost tail giving him more speed. He wasn’t in a hurry, but wished he’d had something to listen to as he flew, like one of the books Mr Lancer always had them reading or music. He thought about calling Jazz and explain things to her but decided against it, she would talk his head off if he called.

Staring down at the landscape Danny found his mind drifting, thinking back on what had happened the night before and how familiar the fight had seemed. It was like fighting the Ripper ghost again without hurting the person he was using. At the same time he’d felt as slow and weak as he had fighting the ghost that had haunted Danielle that Christmas. He wondered if there was any connection to the two of them, apart from him having fought them both.

It took Danny a little over two hours to fly home to Amity Park, he could have gotten there faster if he raced with the planes. As the familiar sight of his home town came in to view a shiver went up his spine and he saw a streak of red fly from the high school. Thinking why not, Danny followed.

He saw Valeri fly after the biker ghost, firing missile blasts at him. Watching from a safe distance Danny had a great view of the fight. The red huntress blasted away at Johnny forcing him to turn in to a less populated streets down by the docs. Watching the show Danny saw the shadow part with the Johnny.

Floating a bit closer Danny couldn’t see that Valeri hadn’t noticed the shadow as she let her anger blast away at Johnny forcing him down on the ground. She separated him from the bike and had him at gunpoint when the ghost shouted for his shadows assistance. The huntress half turned as the shadow flung itself at her.

Her weapons folded out from her back firing holes in to the shadow without hitting it. Johnny’s shadow covered Valeri making Danny feel sorry for it. Red sparks danced over the black form that a moment later was screaming in pain as Valeri charged her persona shield up forcing the shadow of her.

Catching sight of Johnny Danny saw him pick up the bike and try to make a run for it. Sighing he nonchalantly aimed a ghost-ray at the back wheel of the bike exploding it before Johnny could get away. He whipped around looking from the wheel to Danny who waved at him from a distance before pointing at Valeri. The huntress had the shadow in her thermos and was pointing the blue vortex at Johnny sucking him up.

Valeri caped the thermos as Danny floated over to her. “That went well.” He said and had to dodge her fist. “Hey what did I do?”

“I had it handled.” She growled at him, the helmet retracting letting her hair fall out around her face.

“I know I just wanted that satisfying feeling of hitting a target, there isn’t much target practice in jail you know.” Said Danny keeping a safe distance from her fist.

Huffing Valeri crossed her arms. “Typical boys, only thinking of themselves.” A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “What are you doing home Danny, did you get bored when no ghost attacked you in prison?”

They started towards Casper High. “Oh there’s a ghost haunting the prison alright. Just not one I can get my hands on.” He smiled. “How many ghosts have you had to deal with without me around?” He asked.

Valeri rolled her shoulders and Danny could see she held herself more stiffly than him. “Oh you know the normal mindless small fries, Boxy showed up a couple of times, this is the second time Johnny played around the first time was with this kid Young Blood they played Mad Max Furry road with me, no Skulker but-“ Danny facepalmed. “What?”

He tapped the thermos attached to his belt. “Knew I forgot something.” He smiled at her. “I’ve had Skulker trapped in my thermos all this time.”

Valeri started laughing and Danny had to force himself not to join her or he’d double over in pain. “He is going to be so pissed at you.”

“Yeah, sort of feel bad for him now.” Danny rubbed the back of his head.

They reached the school and changed back behind the bleachers. “So what are you doing here, you didn’t escape from prison just to blast away at some ghosts here did you?” Asked Valeri Picking up the backpack she’d hidden under a bench.

“Not only, I’ll tell you when we find Sam and Tucker, It’s lunch now right?” he asked just as the bell rang out.

“Yeah, but you can’t be seen in school. If people don’t know you are in Jail they are going to come after you thinking they can pick a fight.” She said peeking around the bleachers to see if anyone was there.

“Na Danny Fenton is more of a phantom than Phantom is.” He smiled peeking around the bleachers as well.

“You are going crazy talking about yourself in third person.” She pulled up his hood and forced it down over his head. “But seriously the football team has all sworn to beat you up and the A-listers they have something planed for you the next time you show your face around here.” She said.

Danny shrugged and stared walking for the main building and school cafeteria. “Don’t worry Valeri, I can handle them.” He smiled at her as she followed rolling her eyes.

Keeping his head down Danny managed to follow the stream of hungry students to the cafeteria where his nose was filled with the smell of greasy meatloaf and his stomach growled in hunger. “Come on, Sam and Tucker is over here.” Said Valeri pulling him away from the food line.

“But the food is that way.” He said his mouth watering.

“Don’t food in jail taste better than school lunch?” she asked weaving through students and tables alike.

“The crap they serve taste like Sam’s tofu grass sandwiches.” He complained. At the mention of her name Sam looked up from where she and Tucker were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria the nerds held. Her eyes landed on Valeri before moving over to Danny and her eyes widened. “You didn’t happen to run in to the Lunch Lady ghost during the week, I wanted to ask her to haunt Raitshore, at least she knows people need’s to eat real food to stay alive.”

“What the hell are you doing here.” They reached the table and Sam stood up embracing Danny in a fierce hug that made him draw a sharp breath and hold very still. She loosened her grip and look in to his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Ribs… broken.” Said Danny finding himself calling ice to the part of his chest numbing a bit of the pain. Sam obviously felt it because she looked down at his chest before letting go of him rubbing her arms.

“What happened?” She asked sitting down and making room for Danny to sit next to her. Tucker waved at him stuffing meatloaf in to his mouth.

“Didn’t you watch the security footages?” he asked sitting down beside Sam and snatching a potato from Tucker’s plate.

“Today’s a school day man.” Said Tucker swallowing and pulling his plate out of arm’s reach for Danny. “I had to sleep, there was sort of this make up test on a dead version of our language that I couldn’t be late for, and someone was supposed to study with me.” He looked pointedly at Danny.

“Sorry, I’ll help you next time Lancer decides that we have to study Middle English.” Said Danny. “So that mean you didn’t see what happened?” The others shook their head. “Well now I feel less embarrassed of getting my ass handed to me.” He told them of the fight and what he had found out about the ghost hiding inside Gab.

“So why are you here?” Asked Valeri having taken out her bagged lunch.

“Because before he froze me Gab called me Great One, only one type of ghost calls me that.” He answered getting a snort from Valeri.

“Why would anyone call you great one?” Asked Valeri looking from Danny to Sam and Tucker, none of whom were laughing.

“The Yeti’s call him that because he defeated Pariah Dark.” Said Sam slapping Danny’s hand as he tried to steal from her salad. “You can’t eat that, it’s got blood blossom in it.”

Danny pouted crossing his arms. “You mean that big mean ghost that I was going to steal the Fenton ecto-skeleton to…” A light seemed to flick on behind Valeri’s eyes and they suddenly harden on Danny. Her hand flashed in Danny’s vision before the slap hit him.

Blinking at her Danny put a hand on his hot cheek. “What was that for?” he asked letting the chill of his hand cool his cheek.

“You outed me as the Red huntress to dad. I knew there was something I forgot to slap you for.” She said leaning back her arms folded.

“Oh, Fair enough.” Said Danny shrugging of the slap. “Anyways, I came here to see if any of you wanted to join me going to the Far Frozen?” He asked getting a confused look from Valeri. “It’s where the Yeti’s live in the Ghost Zone.” He explained for her.

Sam shrugged finishing her meal. “I’ll go with you. It’s not like I was looking forward to gym class anyways.”

At that Tucker snapped his fingers. “You know now I don’t have a good reason to stay in school anymore. We better leave before Tetslaff figures out we are skipping class.”

They looked at Valeri who sighed. “Sorry, my grades are taking a beating worse than me this week. Gym is one of the few classes I’m good at. Rain check.”

Danny shrugged. “Sure I’ll introduce you to Frostbite and the gang another time.” He said feeling the hairs raise on his neck. Knowing the feeling he dodged as a football came flying at them landing in what was left of their meal.

“Score! Told you I could hit the nerds table!” Shouted the loudmouth Sophomore student Jake West. He and the rest of the A-listers were laughing.

“Let’s go.” Grumbled Sam picking up her things.

“Oh oh see that the cowards are running away.” Said one of the girls. Danny glared at them wanting to shout back but that would draw attention to him.

Instead he, Sam and Tucker made to leave walking around the A-listers. Only they had other planes. One put a foot out tripping Tucker making him drop his glasses and his overflowing backpack popped open spilling out his book. “Oh real mature.” Growled Sam bending down to help Tucker up.

One of the boys reached forward and tugged at her ponytail getting Sam to turn towards him her eyes blazing. “It wasn’t me.” Said the guy that had done it. There was a crack from Tucker’s glasses as one of the football players steeped on them. “ops sorry.” He said making sure to crush them a bit more.

Danny saw the defeat in his best friends eyes. Instead of complaining he held his mouth shut and gathered up his stuff as the other A-listers kicked them around. Sam somehow got herself in to a shouting match with Paulina who somehow broke through Sam’s otherwise cool exterior.

No one however noticed Danny. Sure had they seen his face they might have noticed him but they hadn’t. Going truly invisible Danny made a handful of ice dropping it down the neck of the next person who tried to pull Sam’s hair making him yelp and try to get the ice out. He snaked around retying the shoe laces of the sports students expensive shoes. Busted the seam of a pair of slim-jeans when one of them tried to take Tuckers things from him and finished it all off by throwing food at Paulina, there by starting a food fight.

Taking Sam’s and Tucker’s wrist Danny pulled them out of the fight and out of the cafeteria where Danny turned visible again. “You two alright?” he asked an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. The bullying of his two friends had never been that bad, not even when he and Dash wasn’t friends.

“Yeah, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before.” Sighed Sam redoing her hair. “We should have waited for the bell to ring, then no one would have picked on us.” She glanced at Tucker who was doing his best to pack down his trampled notebooks again.

“Tuck?” asked Danny un able to shake the feeling that this was all his fault. They started walking passing students and teachers on their way to the cafeteria.

Sighing Tucker closed his backpack. “That’s the second pair of glasses they’ve broken and I can’t ask mom for a new pair without her asking what happened to the old ones.” He sighed squinting at the two of them.

“I’m sorry.” Said Danny. “This is my fault, If I hadn’t-“ Sam cut him off by jabbing her elbow in to his ribs forcing him to bite down on a yelp.

“Don’t go blaming yourself. We chose to be your friend and this situation isn’t your fault.” Huffed Sam.

“Well we don’t know if it’s your fault.” Began Tucker following the other a steep behind. Sam Turned around to glare at him. “I’m just saying, we don’t know what happened, and he don’t know, hell nobody knows. Can’t blame people for thinking you are the bad guy just because the police dragged you out of school with blood all over your clothes.”

Danny made a face. “Still Dash’s friends are picking on you because they can’t get to me, that isn’t right.” He turned around to look at Tucker but his eyes fell on the bald overweight teacher coming towards them. “Lancer,” he said turning around and pulling his hood down lower.

“Miss Manson, Mr Foley.” He called and the other’s stiffened at the sound of the teacher calling their name. It always meant trouble.

The two stopped but Danny kept going dodging behind a locker where he turned invisible. “Yes Mr Lancer.” Sighed Sam turning around to face the teacher having seen Danny hide.

The teacher looked from one to the other. “Is it true what I hear. You started a food fight again?” he asked hands on hips.

Sam crossed her arms and glared up at the teacher. “I don’t know. Who told you?” She asked guarded.

Lancer sighed. “Look I am not trying to make things hard for you two, just tell me yes or no.” He said showing that kind side of himself that students rarely saw.

“We didn’t start the fight Mr Lancer.” Said Tucker squinting at the man. “Do you mind, I need to stop by my locker before class, it will be hard to do any school work if I can’t see.” Tucker held up the broken pieces of his glasses.

Lancer’s eyes narrowed on the glasses and Danny could see him putting two and two together. “I want the two of you in my office right now.” He said.

Danny heard Sam protest as he moved around the teacher to stand at his back. “We didn’t do anything. You can’t just call us out like this without any grounds that we’ve broken the rules.”

“Miss Manson, calm down. I know this is a hard time for you and Tucker after what happened with Danny I just want to-“ Danny tapped Lancers shoulder.

“Hey Mr Lancer I have a question.” He said getting the teacher to turn around in surprise. As he did Danny moved around him and griped his friends shoulders turning them invisible as well.

Turning around Lancer didn’t see the three teenagers moving away doing their best not to laugh at his surprised face. “Great Gatsby! They just vanished in to thin air. Again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting ridiculous I keep getting longer chapters than I intended, why! Oh and always fun to play tricks on Lancer, I actually wanted him to recognize Danny but having it this way works better. Also there are three drawings for this chapter just because of the good moments.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is coming up realy late today because I have to write some text for school about grading and judging students work (a part of my coming career as I teacher that I am not looking forward to) and send it in by midnigt, I've pushed the work up with my, cold, B-day and general lack of inspiration. So now I'm sitting here 2h before it needs to be uploaded and just mashing togethre thoughts with literature referenses hoping it will work.  
> Anyhow enjoy this chapter it has 2 pieces of art. (Good thing I finished the art ahead of time or my work load would have been enormus) ^^

Flying the three of them in to his parents basement Danny made sure that no one was around when he dropped the invisibility. He had turned in to Phantom on the way and was grateful for the light feeling of his aching body his ghost-form gave him. “Are we taking the Spector-speeder?” Asked Tucker squinting around.

“We better. I don’t know how it is with you but I didn’t exactly dress for the Far Frozen today.” Said Sam walking over to the large machine that was parked at the other end of the lab.

“You coming?” Asked Tucker walking past Danny who’d stopped in front of a cluttered workspace.

Danny stared down at the many pages of data strewn over the desk, p-tree dishes filled with turquois ectoplasm or ice chards. Sam reached the Spector-speeder and turned around to see where her friends were. “Danny?” She said.

Reaching for the jar of ectoplasm on the table Danny picked it up and unscrewed the lid. “Hey is that the ectoplasm you used to make the cooling bricks out off?” asked Tucker seeing much better at a distance.

“Yeah. Mom and Dad found it in my room.” Said Danny feeling the anger at her parents snooping around in his room raise in him again. He could have forgiven them for that, after all he was still living under their roof, it had been a bit scary thinking of what else they might have found if they had looked hard enough. The ectoplasm and stolen gear he used to create the cooling bricks were the least dangerous thing they could have found. But he couldn’t leave the ectoplasm in their hands, they would make weapons and dangerous equipment out of it, corrupting his work.

“What are you doing?” asked Tucker staring at Danny. He’d tilted the jar to pour the green blue liquid out on his hand letting it spill between his fingers turning the ectoplasm in to perfect snow. It wasn’t that hard to make new anyways, he just needed to create more snow or ice and then leave drops of his blood on it and the ectoplasm wouldn’t disappear.

“Preventing Mom and Dad from creating some dangerous new weapon.” He emptied the jar and dropped it on the floor. The jar broke making it look like it had fallen of the edge of the table and spilled the content. “Let’s go shall we.” Said Danny walking over to the Spector-speeder.

The three got in to the front seat and Danny took the controls, opening the Ghost-Portal and flying through it. The swirling world at the other end of the portal greeted them with darkness and gloom. “It’s been a while since we were her last.” Said Sam looking around. “Better hope we don’t run in to Skulker or Johnny.”

“Heh with the luck we are having we’ll run in to those two and an army of ghost out to get us.” Sighed Tucker rubbing at his eyes and squinting at his phone.

“Naa that won’t happen. Skulker is still in my thermos and Valeri has Johnny in her. This should be a piece of cake.” Said Danny taking a turn and speeding up.

They talked as they few through the Ghost Zone, Sam and Tucker catching Danny up on what had happened in Amity Park while he was gone. He listened enjoying the normalcy of their talks, it was something he’d taken for granted and didn’t know he was missing before he couldn’t freely talk to his friends.

Coming over the Far Frozen Danny frowned down on the frozen landscape. Something was off with it, like someone having hug a painting on the side in a room. He couldn’t place his finger on what was wrong before a blast hit the bottom of the Spector-speeder forcing Danny to turn to compensate. “Take the wheel, I’ll see what’s going on.” Said Danny literary handing Sam the wheel and jumping through the front window of the speeder out in to the chilly air.

He saw the next blast come at them and intercepted it with a ghost-ray that froze upon contact with the other blast. More fire came from the ground and the large glaciers that hid the high-tec city. Sam weaved the Spector-speeder between blasts as Danny took the larger once out.

A bright light coming from the city caught Danny’s attention. It charged before releasing a gigantic spherical blast towards the speeder and Danny. He could hear the sphere crackle with energy and flew up getting himself between it and the speeder. He knew it would be useless to try and shield the speeder and he couldn’t charge up a strong enough blast himself in time to stop it.

Taking a deep breath Danny center himself and did maybe the most stupidest thing he could think off. He took the blast head on, pulling the power in to his core like he’d done the night before. Rolling it up in to a neat bundle feeling himself turn blue and start shivering. He let go of the power like he had done during his first lesson with Frost bite, only this time he aimed it back at the ones attacking them.

Glancing over his shoulder Danny motioned for Sam and Tucker to follow as he descended to land on a large courtyard in front of a huge ice building hidden behind a wall of ice. Yeti’s were standing with weapons aimed up all around them, frozen with an expression of shock on their faces.

Feeling a bit light headed Danny sat down on the ground. Yeti’s that were not frozen came forth their spears pointed at him and the Spector-speeder. “Lower your weapons fools!” Shouted Frostbites second in command walking forward between the other. “It is the Great One, can’t you see. Go back to watching our boarders.”

The Spector-speeder landed behind Danny who pushed himself up to stand. “Sorry about your troupes… Tyr was it? I didn’t mean to freeze them.” He was about to make a joke about getting the frozen people some hot coco when his eyes landed on a large hole in the building behind Tyr.

“Ah hahaha don’t worry about that Great One. They should have known better than to point their spears at you. I see you brought your followers along.” He said as Sam and Tucker exited the Spector-speeder wearing warm winter coats that had been stored inside the vehicle. “Lady Sam, Sir Tucker, Welcome back to the Far Frozen.”

“Not exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for but what did I expect going in to the Far Frozen.” Said Tucker rubbing his arms in the chilly air. Danny turned around taking in his surroundings a bit more carefully.

There were more buildings that had been damaged together with irregular shapes in the glacier that hadn’t been there before. “What attacked you?” Asked Danny turning back to face Tyr. His friends looked around commenting on not seeing any signs of an attack but the yeti sighed and looked Danny in the eyes.

“Frostbite was actually about to send for you, it’s better if he tell you about the mistake than me. Come this way please.” Tyr turned and showed them in to the frozen high-tec building inside the glacier.

Danny had been inside the buildings before, but the broad corridors was like a mix between highteck labs and stone age caves. Normally the corridors were clean and the yeti’s moving around were dressed in fine furs and pelt, with arm rings of gold. But now they looked more like the warriors outside, broken pieces of furniture and walls littered the corridor.

They were led through the many corridors till the reach a huge door. Tyr raised a hand to knock on the door when it flew open and a short scrawny yeti stumble out papers flying over his head. “Get it fixed and don’t come back before it’s done.” Boomed Frostbites voice from inside.

“Yes sir, right away.” The young yeti picked up his papers and ran away.

Swallowing Tyr knocked on the open door. “Lord Frostbite the Great one and his friends are here to see you.” He said. Danny glanced in to the room seeing Frostbite sitting behind a desk covered with papers and files.

The Yeti look up from his work and a huge smile spread over his face, stretching green streaks of healing wounds on the left side of his face. “Great one it’s been a while, I was just about to send  for you come in.” He waved for them to enter and Danny noticed that his left ice arm was gone.

Entering the room Danny smiled at his mentor. “So I hear, you look like dog-shit.” He said seeing tousled fur on his shoulders hiding more wounds.

“I could say the same about you, still can’t dodge I see.” He gestured for them to sit down in the comfortable fur covered chairs in front of his desk. “I apologize for not getting up but my recovery from the battle is taking longer than expected.”

“There’s no need to get up on our account.” Said Sam taking a seat letting Tucker sit down in the other chair. Danny stayed hovering above the floor more comfortable upright than sitting. “What sort of ghost attacked you, I thought every ghost in the ghost-zone respected the yetis and the Far Frozen?” asked Sam.

Frostbite sighed and leaned back in his chair rubbing his shoulder. “That is a good question Miss. The creature that attacked us wasn’t as much a ghost than a spirit of rage and vengenc.” He shook his head. “No this is not how I should tell it.” He looked up at Danny and odd expression on his face. “I should start by apologizing to you Great one. We’ve failed in our mission to keep the Sword contained.”

“The sword, the Ripper Sword!” Exclaimed Tucker squinting at Danny who stared slack jawed at Frostbite.

“How? You have the safest place in this part of the known Ghost Zone.” Danny could feel his heart beating faster as his breathing speed up.

Frostbite’s eyes narrowed on Danny. “This was my fault. One of my researchers, Björn asked to analys the sword, to see what made the ghost stick to it and how it could take others powers. I let him take the sword out of the case.” Frostbite sighed and shook his head. “I shouldn’t have let him do that, The ripper eat away at him till he had control over Björn.” He waved at the window to the city outside. “The destruction you saw on the outside was the result of our attempts a stopping him.”

“A researcher destroyed half your city?” Asked Sam glancing up at Danny who had started hyperventilating. She reached up and took Danny’s hand. “Hey, you alright Danny?”

Closing his eyes and tightening his grip on Sam’s hand Danny drew in a deep deliberate breath that hurt his ribs. “Yeah I’m fine.” He said but he was afraid. Running in to the ripper the first time had been bad, he didn’t want to repeat the experience. “All yeti has the same ghost power right.” Frostbite nodded. “And the Ripper ghost has his own power, it was hard for me to take him on because of his speed. So for you people it would have been harder.”

“Indeed. The spirit had more control over his powers than we have. His own powers were also great but what trumped us was his ability to drain the power of whoever he cuts.” He waved at the stump of his arm. “The battle left many of us crippled, we will recover in due time but we couldn’t peruse Björn. That’s why I was going to send for you.”

Taking a deep breath Danny pushed back his hair and started pacing, not only did he have to deal with a killer at Raithshore but now the Ripper was on the loose. “Hey Man we’ll get the creep, a serial killer like that can’t stay hidden for long, We’ll just tell the FBI to keep an eye out and we’ll get him again. Just like we recapture the others all the time.”

Nodding Danny kept pacing. It was a good idea, they could deal with the Ripper later and he was already talking to Prentiss and her team so he could just tell them. “Great one?” Said Frostbite getting Danny to look up at him. “What brought you here?”

Sighing Danny scratched the back of his head and came to a halt behind Sam’s chair leaning on the back. He lay out the basis of his problem starting with his own arrest and the FBI’s mission for him ending with the fight he’d had with Gab and what he’d said. “I figured it’d be one of your people.” He finished feeling like he was accusing Frostbite of setting one of his people at him.

During his explanation Frostbite had listened to him without interrupting. When Danny finished the man leaned back scratching his jaw. “I would say that none of my subjects were missing but as I just told you Björn is not here anymore and it can very well have been he who attacked you. After all when he left he was badly injured and wouldn’t have survived outside the ghost zone without  some form of physical vessel to feed from.”

“When did he leave?” asked Sam blowing at her hands to warm them up.

“That would have been some days ago, but he left through a natural portal that only opened for a few seconds, he could have ended up anywhere in time and space.” Said Frostbite.

Danny nodded rubbing the scratches on his jaw, it meant that he still didn’t know what ghost he was dealing with but it was likely Bjorn. “He changed his hand to look like your arm. The punches hurt like getting hit by real ice. How did he do that?”

Frostbite smiled. “Yes one of the harder lessons to learn.” He nodded at his arm. “I never got the trick of returning it to flesh form. Judging by how you took on our mega canon I’d say you are ready to learn.”

“This sounds interesting, how do I do it?” He asked leaning forward egger to learn new tricks with his powers.

Frostbite’s smile grew wider. “Meditate.” Danny sighed hanging his head as Frostbite laughed at his reaction. “Yes Great one, meditate, focus on your core, and then instead of letting your powers out to stop shaking concentrate it in to the part of your body you want to turn to ice. Just don’t do it to your whole body or head, then you’ll be a statue for the rest of eternity.”

“It’s that simple?” asked Tucker staring from Frostbite to Danny. “He can just freeze a part of himself and punch someone out, what if he can’t unfreeze himself?”

“He can, he has already done it. When he took the blast earlier he was completely frozen for a few seconds until he made the ice his own and per usual froze some of my subjects. We really should get people out of the way when you come by, it takes to long thawing them up.” Frostbite gave Danny that smile like he was Danny’s dad and really proud of him.


	28. Chapter 28

They left the Far Frozen and returned to the human world in time to miss the start of Tucker’s and Sam’s last class of the day. Parking the Spector-Speeder in the same corner as they found it the three got out. Danny walked over to the ghost-flusher where he placed his thermos. “Do you want me to take you back to school?” he asked looking over at his friends.

“Naa, we could just say we didn’t feel well and that we went home. The flue is going around in school so it will be believable.” Smiled Sam tossing her borrowed winter coat back in to the Spector-speeder.

“You could drop us off at home, I don’t really think walking out of your parent’s house with you gone is a good idea.” Said Tucker rubbing at his eyes.

Flushing Skulker back in to the Ghost Zone Danny nodded. “Alright.” He removed the thermos and attached it to his utility belt. Tucker lived closest to Danny and he dropped him off in his room first reminding him to fix the security tapes of the prison before anyone saw it.

Closing in on Sam’s home she pointed to her green house. “I'v been thinking of something, set us down inside my greenhouse.”

“Sure.” Danny phased them through the top of greenhouse. Inside it was warm and humid smelling of earth and flowers, just like Sam. He set them down in the middle of Sam’s home-grown jungle letting go of her. “Don’t you have a Blood Blossom in here?” he asked holding his breath.

“No. I harvested everything I could get out of it, if I need any more I can just find it in the wild.” She walked over to her workbench in one corner and dumped her schoolbag on a chair there.

“Oh okay, then I can breathe in here.” He sighed wincing as his ribs protested.

“Yeah, but you might not want to touch anything, I don’t know if the blossom powder came on anything.” Danny nodded digging his hands in his pockets.

“So what is your idea?” he asked watching her pull out a plastic container from under a workbench.

“You said that you couldn’t separate the ghost from the human right.” She opened the container and took out a plastic bag filled with soft black leafs. “So I thought you could poison the well.” She tossed the bag to Danny who caught it. “Just be careful so you don’t poison yourself.”

Danny stared down at the black petals inside the bag, a hint of red around the rims. “This is blood blossom.” He said recognizing the stupid flower.

“Yeah. The bane of ghosts, poison to half ghost and a tasty treat to the rest of us.” She put the lid back on the box. “I have some ideas for ghost fighting equipment of my own that is a bit more old school and can be taken through a metal detector.” She opened a box in the workbench and picked up a dart with green feathers. “Remember this?” she asked a wide smile on her face.

“That’s the dart that shorted out my powers. You figured out how it works?” he asked coming up to stand beside her.

“It’s made of blood blossom. The stem to be exact. I had Valeri try one of mine on the Boxghost and he ran away yowling at the top of his lungs, he kept his distance from Valeri the next time he showed his face.” She said putting back the dart in the drawer, beside the glowing green bullet of ecto-ranium. “I’m making a sort of extract out of the flowers, that when mixed with water can act as a from off holy water, you know like you see in exorcisms to drive a ghost out of someone.”

Danny looked down on the leaves in the bag he was holding. “You know I can’t touch this.” He reminded her. “What do you want me to do with this?”

Rolling her eyes at him Sam sighed. “Poison the well. You make the human the ghost is attached to eat the blood blossom. It doesn’t affect the humans but works as a natural Spector deflector, so it’ll weaken the bound between the human and ghost if he eats it or it might not but it’s worth a try.”

“And what if he has become allergic like me, this might kill him.” Sam shrugged.

“You people are being watched 24/7, if he goes in to anaphylactic shock then someone will see and he’ll get help immediately. Remember it didn’t kill you right away and you had been pushed in to a bush.” She turned to look straight at him. “Stop worrying so much alright, you get wrinkles.”

Danny gave her an raised eyebrow. “How can I not worry Sam, we just found out that the Ripper is free, I have a ghost killing people in jail and let’s not forget the fact that I can’t remember what happened to Dash.”

She crossed her arms. “I just mean that you should take one thing at a time. Right now focus on the guy in jail we’ll keep an eye out here. Once that is done we’ll deal with the Dash problem and after that we will probably have some information on the Ripper ghost if he isn’t inside the ghost who’s inside your friend in jail.”

Taking a deep breath Danny put the bag in his hoody pocket deciding to take Sam’s advice and attack one problem at a time. “I need to go back.” He sighed and was about to turn when Sam put her arms around him.

She didn’t hug him as hard as she had in school but Danny still stayed as still as possible. “Do something for me.” She said her face hidden under her bangs.

“Um, what?” Asked Danny relaxing a bit.

Sam looked up at him and before he could say anything she had her lips pressed to his. He relaxed in to the kiss, her lips burning on his. She was the first to break the quick kiss looking in to his eyes. “Don’t you dare get yourself killed or I swear you will become fertilizer to my plants.”

“Okay… I’m a bit confused, was that a real kiss?” He blinked at her.

Rolling her eyes Sam kissed his cheek. “Yes for good luck, now get going before people starts missing you.” She stepped away from him picking up her bag. “Unlike you I have homework to do and parents to avoid.” Sam walked past him to the greenhouse door and left.

Danny stayed put numb for a moment a tingling sensation on his lips. Maybe he hadn’t completely trashed his relationship with Sam, maybe kissing her hadn’t been a bad idea. The corner of his mouth turned up and he stared after Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don’t like the Sam/Danny ship… I have nothing to say to you, I like the ship, it’s headcanon and I am doing my own spin on it. As always feel free to comment.  
> (Also it's never going to be anything more than smut in this series.)


	29. Chapter 29

The light in the hospital-room was bright, the blue paint on the walls did nothing to soften it. The single bed in the room was occupied by Casper Highs football star, his short blond hair almost hidden under the white bandages around his head. Danny stayed in the shadows near the window holding his arms crossed over his chest nails digging in to his arms. He watched Dash breath, taking shallow breaths like him avoiding the pain of the broken ribs.

He was asleep, that much was obvious from his light mumbling, but Danny still stayed, not sure why he’d come in the first place. Had it been to see the injuries he’d caused Dash. The bruises on his face were healing, Danny’s own face had more bruises than Dash. He could see healing bruises on Dash’s arms as well, as if he had tried to defend himself from someone packing a real punch.

The memory of Dash laying on the stupid classroom floor, blood coloring his hair a crimson red, pain written all over his face, played in the back of Danny’s mind. The door to the room opened, the noise from the corridor outside spilled in and Dash stirred. He blinked and turned his head stiffly to look at the woman who entered. “Hi momb.” He said slurring the words slightly.

Dash’s mom Laura walked in, still wearing her barista uniform. “Hi hon.” She said putting down her things on the chair beside the door. Biting his lip Danny turned and walking out through the wall floating up in to the sky.

The sun was setting painting the sky a vivid pink and blue. Using the sun for directions Danny set of towards his prison once more. Just like earlier the flight was boring and Danny found it hard to concentrate on anything, as if he was sitting in class listening to the numb monotone lectures of his teachers. He closed his eyes against the bright shine of the setting sun, the wind playing pleasantly over his face.

A warm feeling spread from the center of his chest as he drifted off to dreamless sleep.

A glowing hot knife of pain cut through Danny’s sleep, his eyes flew open as he tried to draw in air to his lungs grabbing for the knife in his chest. His fingers scratched thick black rubber gloves and Danny was suddenly aware of the warmth at his back. It didn’t stop him from trying to get out of the hold that was pressing his ribs in to his lungs it just made him change tactics.

“Hold still.” Growled a deep voice just above his head.

Danny kicked out with his legs wriggling around, getting his arms between himself and the ones holding him. “Ribs.” Gasped Danny pushing at the hard-muscled arms around him.

A growl made the chest at Danny’s back vibrate and a moment later the arms around him loosened up letting Danny draw in a shallow breath as he pushed at the arms. “Hold still.” Said Vlad’s familiar voice and he moved his right arm to Danny’s waist holding him closer.

Blinking Danny stared at the ground far beneath him and his slacks and sneakers. Swallowing he saw his black hair drift in front of his eyes. “You lost control.” Said Vlad his arm around Danny’s waist tightening. “You are lucky I’ve kept my eye on you today. It was foolish of you to do a long flight like this with a double so far away.”

Drawing on his powers to keep himself afloat Danny found it slipping from his grip like water. He gulped suddenly afraid that Vlad might drop him and he would be unable to do anything to break his fall. “How do you know?” He asked.

Vlad hummed close to Danny’s ear. “Little badger, you don’t think I’d let you leave Amity Park without knowing where you went.” He laughed. “I have contacts in every part of our government. I know for a fact that your copy has been sleeping in your cell all day while you stole some money from that FBI agent to pay for your burgers this morning and you started a food fight in school today as well, and I know you’ve been standing in Baxter’s hospital room for a long hour before you left.”

“Stalker.” Sighed Danny not in the mood for Vlad’s charades and mined game. “Set me down, I can get back on my own.”

Sighing Vlad tugged at Danny and before he knew what happened he found himself on Vlad’s back the old fruit loop’s red eyes on his. “Don’t be a child Daniel, it takes all your power to keep up the double at this distance, you can’t even transform in your current state.”

Vlad was right, no matter how much Danny reached for his powers it slipped through his grip leaving him feeling light headed and tired. He put his arms around Vlad’s neck pushing down the high color of his cape. “What do you want?” he asked closing his eyes.

“I don’t want you to fall to your death little badger.” Sighed Vlad as he sped up the cold air pushing Danny’s hair out of his face.

“Is that all?” asked Danny knowing that there was always more to Vlad than he first let show.

“Off course not.” Huffed Vlad.

“Then what, I am not going to start calling you Dad and become your son just because you give me a piggyback ride.” Danny opened an eye to glared at Vlad. “You’ve done too much to be forgiven that easily.”

The man chuckled. “If I wanted you for myself I would have taken you out of the police station the moment you were arrested.” Danny frowned, if Vlad had showed up at the station he wasn’t sure he could have refused the man’s offer of help.

“What then.” He asked savoring the warmth of Vlad’s back hating himself at the same time for feeling comforted by him.

The man was quiet for a long moment making Danny think he wasn’t going to answer. “You were using a double to fight Skulker when Baxter was attacked right?” asked Vlad getting an affirmative hum from Danny. “You can remember the fight but not what happened to Baxter right.”

Hunching his shoulders Danny nodded. Vlad sighed. “You won’t ever remember that, the memories of the ghost are stronger than the human. Your memories of the events in the classroom have been overwritten by those of the fight.”

“That sounds stupid. I’ve used copies before and never lost memories, hell I have more memories swimming around in my head than I can handle.” Said Danny rubbing a thumb at the spot between his eyebrows.

“That’s the point Danny. You are overloading your brains ability to comprehend what’s happening around you thus overwrite things with easier memories.” Vlad turned his head to look Danny in the eyes. “The headaches are an early warning, the worse they get the closer you are to overwriting memories.”

Danny gave him a dry look. “Somehow I find that hard to believe. You’ve been using that power on larger scales and for longer periods than I.”

Vlad smirked. “Yes, but I know the limits of that power, that’s why I can make a hundred copies were as you can only make, what five. Of course, I could teach you how to hone your abilities all you have to do is become my son.”

Groaning Danny rested his forehead against Vlad’s shoulder. “That sounds more like the Vlad I hate. No, I will never become your son. Give it a rest will you.” He sighed and stopped talking letting Danny drift back off to sleep.

Shivering from the cold kid at his back Vlad directed more warmth there feeling Danny relax even more. He let the boy sleep well aware of the strain keeping a double at a far distance put on the originals body and core.

The landscape slowly changed under him and hours later they were flying above the suburbs, the glowing skyline of Chicago in the distance. Taking out his hand-held computer he consulted the GPS before returning it to his pocket. Drawing in a deep breath Vlad concentrated on where he wanted to be and in the blink of an eye the surrounding changed, placing them in a forested area close to cliffs overlooking the lake.

Danny moved at his back before making a sound lifting his head to put his chin on Vlad’s shoulder. “What did you just do?” he asked blinking as he looked around, eyes landing on the solid building by the lake. “Oh.” He said his arms tightening around Vlad.

Turning them invisible Vlad flew them closer to the detention center going through walls and ceilings till he reached the cell Danny lay in. He watched as the copy opened his eyes and met Danny’s, for the boy it would be a flash of green in his vison but for Vlad it looked like the copy glitched out of existence only the rumpled sheets said that anyone had been there.

Groaning Danny pressed his hands to his head. Pitying the boy Vlad set him down on the top bunk turning them both visible. “Don’t do any more copies, little badger.” He said changing in to his human form, his human face was kinder looking than his ghost.

“Piss off.” Grumbled Danny but there was no energy behind his words. He dug in his pockets taking out a plastic bag and putting it under the matters before phasing out of his hoody. “Mind leaving this in the guard’s locker room for me.” He asked letting Vlad take the hoody from him.

“Get some rest.” Said Vlad taking a step away from the bunk as Danny lay down. “And tell miss Manson that I don’t appreciate the blood blossom she keeps sending over with her mother during our meetings.”

Danny smiled. “You made your bed, now lay in it.” He rolled over pulling the blanket over his head.

Shaking his head Vlad changed back to his ghost form. “Sleep tight little Badger, I need you well and rested for my plans.” Danny sat up to stare at the man but he was gone, only a feeling of being watched told Danny that he hadn’t left.


	30. Chapter 30

Shadows moved whispering in the background, trying to hear what they were saying they shut up until he didn’t try and listen then they started again. Sighing Danny gave up at hearing them and turned around to ignore them only to find red eyes blinking at him from the shadows.

Swallowing and taking a step back he saw a broad sharp toothed smiles spread on the shadows faces. Taking another step back he felt something stick to the underside of his shoe. Looking down something black gleamed back at him. Danny couldn’t help but laugh at the cliché, next thing a hand would come out of the puddle and pull him down.

A metallic click made him look up. A small light illuminated the red-eyed shadow revealing a squared jaw, round cheeks, an upturned nose, black hair and hard round eyes. Danny recognized his own face but the twisted smile on it scared him. His doubles lips moved the fangs gleaming sharply, the words no louder than the whispers of the others.

The smile on the red-eyed doubles face grew wider and Danny was suddenly aware of a warmth against his back. The double started laughing and waved at something behind Danny.

 

A hand griped Danny’s shoulder and he grabbed hold of the hand sitting up and twisting the it backwards in an painful angel, ready to throw the person over his shoulder when he realized that he was at the wrong angle for it. “Aww aww aww.” Erik tapped Danny’s hand. “Okay got it, I give up I give up.”

Danny blinked down on his cellmate before letting go of him. “Sorry.” He said rubbing at his eyes.

“It’s okay. Were you having another nightmare?” Asked Erik standing on his own bunk rubbing his left hand.

Shaking his head Danny kicked of his blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bunk. “No just weird dream. What time is it?” he asked once more hungry.

“Time for supper. You didn’t hear the bell buzz?” Danny shook his head. “Thought so, you’ve been asleep all day, you sure you don’t feel sick?”

Sliding down from the bunk Danny winced when his ribs protested. “Yeah I’m sure.” He said straitening focusing more cold around his chest. “You said something about food.” He asked walking out of the cell Erik following him a beat later.

“Yeah, Supper and you know homework stuff, the physics teacher gave me a full score on last week’s homework thanks to you.” The two walked past the guards at the door.

“I’m not a living lexicon, I can hardly keep up my own grades in high school.” Sighed Danny.

“Sure, but you still points us in the right direction to find the answers, that’s more help than I ever got from my parents.” He smiled at Danny. “Besides you’ve been sleeping the day away, the least you can do is help us feel productive in our school work, so when we get out of here we won’t have to redo a whole year of high school.”

Sighing Danny gave up, they eat supper with Kevin after which Danny sat down in the rec-room with them helping both look for the answers to their homework in their books. Danny found himself wondered when he had become his sister, always helping with homework and always knowing where to find his answer. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as he thought, maybe he just had a higher standard to live up to then the others.

Eventually the signal for them to get back in to their cells rang and Danny found himself faced with the problem of climbing up in to his bunk without hurting his ribs. Making sure Erik wasn’t looking Danny made the movements for pulling himself up in to his bunk while floating up. Pushing the pillow up against the wall, Danny sat cross-legged leaning his back towards it.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” asked Erik leaning on Danny’s bunk once again.

“I am.” Yawned Danny putting his hands in his lap, relaxing his shoulders.

“You won’t fall asleep like that.” Said Erik earning him a glare from Danny.

“I beg the differ.” He said closing his eyes taking a deep breath that hurt. Danny could feel Erik climb up on to the bunk and cracking open an eye he saw the other sit down like him, legs crossed and shoulders relaxed.

Taking another breath forcing himself to ignore the pain Danny slowly fell in to the breathing rhythm Frostbite had thought him. “Still don’t get how you can sleep like this.” Said Erik breaking Danny’s concentration.

“That’s because you are not concentrating, try breathing like I do and concentrate on something at your center.” He said falling back in to his breathing pattern. For every time he did, it got easier. He could feel the cold center of his core, holding it in a light grip for a moment feeling his confidence grow when the power didn’t slip out through his fingers like it had earlier that evening.

“There is nothing in my center.” Said Erik breathing with Danny.

“Then imagen a flame.” Sighed Danny beginning to mold his power, collecting it into a small ball that he then expanded to his skin feeling a rush of cold before drawing it all in again. He kept up the exercise stopping the power from slipping out his skin, pulling it back when it did and pushing it out to his fingers and toes.

Erik began snoring beside Danny who smiled. He had also fallen asleep the first time meditating. Feeling confident in his control Danny collected all his power in to his center then let the ice flow through him and out in to his right hand stopping it before it escaped through his fingers letting the power build up.

At first the fingers felt cold, then they became a pleasant numb before it felt like spikes were digging in to his hand spreading warmth until an odd feeling like having his hand in water the same temperature as his skin spread from his fingertips, up his palm and past his wrist. Without opening his eyes Danny moved his fingers feeling them glide over his left palm, a cold icy sensation to it.

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Danny opened his eyes and stared down on his hand. There was a faint glow to it, the clear translucent surface moving like his own skin showing him his bones. Danny stared, fascinated by the movements of the bones.

Giving Erik a quick glance he changed in to Phantom and floated up and out of his cell. Leaving the detention center Danny made his way down the side of the cliff where he stopped and looked at his hand again. The glove of his suit was gone, the ice of his hand somehow melting in with the rest of his suit.

He moved his hand over the hard rock of the cliff before drawing back the hand and balling it in to a fist. He turned his hips and swung with all his strength hitting the cliff-face with all his might.

The following boom of impact reminded Danny of a bomb. The cliff-face cracked, a long fisher like a lightning bolt snaked up and down from where Danny’s fist hit.  Gulping Danny found himself wondering what would happen if he enhanced his strength even more. He decided not to try, or he might bring the whole of Raithshore down with him.

Returning Danny shook his hand concentrating on drawing back the power in to his core again. It worked but the tingling feeling like his hand had fallen asleep lingered making it hard for him to fall asleep himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not really happy about this chapter, there is the odd dream and Danny thinking that he might have to high expectations on his academics, it’s small facts that are fun and maybe not relevant to the story. Or is it. ^^


	31. Chapter 31

Cold air tickled Danny’s throat making him cough. The discomfort and sore feeling of his throat roused Danny from his slumber. For a moment he was afraid that the pneumonia was back feeling the slime in his throat. Coughing Danny cleared his throat before sitting up and looking around.

Erik was like always lying beside him, his arms around Danny as if he was some kind of teddy bear. Carefully so as not to wake the older teen Danny got the others arms off him and sank through the bunk to sit on the bottomed one. He cleared his throat again, it was sore, as if he was coming down with a cold. “Good thing I’m not staying here for much longer.” He sighed.

Arranging his legs and arms Danny leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath that was more uncomfortable than painful. Frostbite had told him long ago when he started teaching Danny to meditate that it would speed up his healing abilities, but it wasn’t before now that he believed the yeti. Falling in to the familiar breathing pattern Danny cleared his mind.

Slowly he began picking at the decisions that had led him to where he was. Asking himself if he had made the right decision out of what he had known in those moments. That thinking stopped him from wishing he had done things differently, it stopped him from regretting and beating himself up over every mistake he made. Thou he would still regret some of the outcomes but he felt like he could live in the present instead of regretting the past.

The sound of Erik tossing and turning in the bunk above Danny made him glance up. His cellmate was making whimpering noises and moved around vigorously until he rolled over one time to many. Flailing his arms Erik fell out of the bunk still tangled in the blanket, clipping his elbow on the bottom bunk before hitting the floor with a long groan. Danny watched as he sat up rubbing his elbow his eyes franticly scanning the room until they landed on Danny in his dark corner and Erik visibly relaxed.

“Nightmare?” asked Danny feeling a bit better about his own moments of weakness seeing as Erik wasn’t perfect ether.

Rubbing at his face Erik got up. “You can say that. How long have you been awake?” he asked laying down on his bunk his head at Danny’s knees.

Shrugging Danny scratched at the cuts on his jaw. “Not long.” He settled back taking another deep breath.

“Can I ask you a question?” asked Erik tapping Danny’s knee.

“Ask away.” Hummed Danny not really meditating any more, judging by how hungry he was it would soon be breakfast and with Erik awake it would be hard to ignore him.

Erik moved putting warm thin fingers on Danny’s forearms. “What are you doing?” he asked moving his fingers over Danny’s arm, tickling the skin in a pleasant way.

“I was meditating.” Sighed Danny relaxing his back and opening his eyes.

“That really works?” Erik had his eyes closed.

“Depends on why one meditates.” Danny relaxed and concentrated on the feeling of Erik’s fingers moving over his skin, there was something comforting about the sensation. No one ever touched him in that way, his parents had learned long ago that he didn’t appreciate their display of affection in public and barely tolerated the bearhugs. In any case his Dad was to rough and his mom would mostly touch him to comfort him, Erik seemed to do it more to comfort himself.

“What did you meditate on?” Asked Erik looking like he was going to fall asleep again.

“Things.” Sighed Danny.

The two slowly drifted off to sleep before the bell bussed and Erik let out a groan. “The guy who said jail is nothing like real life has never gone to school.” He said rolling over putting his head in Danny’s lap.

“At least in real life you get the choice of skipping classes.” Yawned Danny stretching feeling the bones in his shoulders and spine pop. Keeping his eyes on Erik Danny phased his hand’s through the top bunk felling around for plastic bag under the mattress. He opened it and took out a handful of petals.

Grabbing the leaves with his bare hands felt like he was grabbing hot embers from a fire. He bit his lip and stuffed the petals in his pockets before bringing out his hands and staring at them. A rash was spreading over his palms, drying up the skin and making it itch.

Thoughts whirled around in Danny’s mind, he scolded himself for touching the leaves without protection and told himself to wash his hand’s before he had a worse reaction that made him stop breathing again. Pushing Erik’s head of his lap Danny scooted over to the edge of the bunk and walked over to the sink where he washed his hands with the soap provided to him when he arrived.

Erik took it as a signal to get up and found his t-shirt on the floor beside Danny’s shoes. He kicked the shoes over to Danny and got dressed. Danny tried to move cold in to his palms to stop the itching but the only thing that changed was that the skin looked a bit pale.

He spent the next half hour scratching at his palms on the edge of the bunk as he and Erik waited for their cell door to open. When it did both Danny and Erik joined the crowd walking towards the mess hall, this time the guard at the door didn’t stop Danny, after all the bruises on his face were less noticeable and it would have been more likely that they asked why the black eye was yellow instead of black that day.

Danny kept his head down in the mess hall, he followed Erik and got a tray of what counted for breakfast in that place. Making sure that no one saw him Danny stuck his hand in his pockets and bringing out the blood blossom petals he put them between the two slices of bread and cheese before they got to their table where Gab and Kevin were already seated.

Sitting down Danny eyed Gab. The other teenager had scratches on his jaw like Danny and looked like he could use another day’s rest. He had almost finished his breakfast when Erik and Danny sat down. “Morning.” Yawned Kevin between bites of his breakfast.

“Morning.” Said Danny and Erik at the same time. Danny picked up his spork and poked at the porridge. He was hungry but if his plan was going to work he had to act like he didn’t have an appetite. Which was easy considering what would happen if he took a bite out of the sandwich on his tray.

“Are you feeling better today?” Asked Erik Gab who like always made a grab for Danny’s food.

“Yeah, I was just tired yesterday, must have been a virus or something like the others got.” He met Danny’s eyes when he didn’t stop Gab from taking his food. Sighing Danny pushed the tray over to him and crossing his arms he used them as a pillow resting his head on the table.

“Dud, aren’t you hungry?” asked Kevin, who Danny had begun thinking of as the groups big brother, always noticing when things weren’t like they should be.

“Sure, I just haven’t got an appetite for this crap today.” He answered watching Gab shove the porridge in to his mouth hardly tasting it. It sort of made sense that Gab was eating as much as Danny, whenever he used his ghost-powers he always had a huge appetite, more so after a fight. Ghost possession worked in a similar way, drawing more energy from the human host the longer it stayed, sort of like his ghost-powers

“You can have the sandwich.” Said Gab through a mouthful of the cement like food.

Forcing himself to keep his face neutral Danny shook his head. “No thanks.” He said scratching his palms.

He could see Erik and Kevin exchange a look out of the corners of his eye. They were probably thinking he was acting weird seeing as he never let anyone take the food from him the other days. Erik was the one who spoke. “You feeling alright?” he asked leaning a bit closer to Danny who put out his elbows to keep him away.

“You are starting to sound like my mom.” Said Danny watching Gab pick up the sandwich and take a bite out of it. “Believe me I am fine.” He said scratching his palms as he watched Gab devour the sandwich not even noticing the added ingredient.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a day late but I've been at my mom's and my grandparents for a week and they... well they do have internet and fiber tv I just didn't think of bringing my computer or the USB drive this story is saved on, Sorry it's late.

Just like that Friday Danny was shown in to a small room with a desk and two chairs in which the woman sat with pens, papers and a stop watch on the table. She smiled at Danny when the officer showed him in. “Great more tests.” Grumbled Danny sitting down in the chair opposite the woman keeping his hands under the table scratching at the rash that had started blistering.

“These tests are different Daniel. Last time we checked at what high school level you were at, today I want to gauge your ability to learn.” She put a sheet of paper in front of Danny together with a pen.

Sighing Danny glanced at the door. “What’s in it for me?” he asked thinking he could get himself a proper sandwich again and maybe some coffee if he played his cards right.

The woman opened her bag that had been standing on the floor and brought out a sandwich putting it on the table between them. “You get the sandwich when you are finished, the test only takes about 60 to 90 minutes.”

Danny gave her an raised eyebrow as his stomach growled. “A teacher of mine once said that you can’t work on an empty stomach.” Said Danny reaching over the table taking the sandwich and unwrapping it. “I’ll do the test, get me a cup of coffee at the end of it and I won’t complain.” He said taking a bite of the sandwich. It was one of the sandwiches one could buy at a gas station or a seven-eleven, the bread managed to be stale at the same time as it was soggy, had it been chees in it Danny would have eaten it reluctantly, but it was a BLT with extra bacon so he didn’t complain.

Tapping her fingers on the table for a moment the woman watched Danny before she got up and walked over to the door. She exchanged words with the guard outside, asking him to get her a cup of coffee. Once she closed the door Danny could hear the guard mutter that he wasn’t some earned boy and she could get her own coffee for all he cared.

Finishing the sandwich Danny rubbed his hands before picking up the pen looking up at the woman. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

The test was definitely not like the previous once, there were no questions about English grammar or spelling, no physics question or question regarding Math or History, in a sense the test reminded Danny a lot of the Career Aptitude Test (CAT) he had taken a year earlier, minus the whole evil future self trying to kill his friends and family. The test consisted of different kinds of puzzles, figure out the pattern, find the missing piece, connect the dots.

Danny almost forgot that he was being timed and that it was a test as he worked, he could practically have done the test in his sleep and only had to break off at even intervals to scratch his palms. When he finished the last question he turned the paper over to see if there was any more but there was only a blank page on the other side.

A click from the stop watch made Danny look up at the woman. “One hour and nine minutes.” She said noting down the time on a paper herself. She look up at Danny and smiled pushing a black mug of still warm coffee towards him. “You did well.” She said saving the papers as Danny lunged for the coffee, leaning back in the chair and drinking it.

“Was that really a test?” he asked having swallowed a mouthful of the dark bitter brew.

“What was it too easy?” she asked going over his answers checking them against the paper she had kept to herself.

Shrugging Danny brought the mug to his lips. “Wasn’t hard.” He said sipping at the coffee. “You want me to do any more tests?” he asked seeing her draw a line in the margin of his answering sheet.

She picked up a folder and leafed through some of the papers inside before bringing out a bunch of them putting them in front of Danny. “I want you to do as many of these as you can.” She said.

Picking up the pen Danny looked down at what he was supposed to do and groaned, Math, it just had to be math, couldn’t have been physics, science or even English. Giving his coffee mug a hateful glare he finished the last of it and set at it doing his best without complaining.

 

The woman had finished scoring his first test and was watching Danny write out a long equation on the squared worksheet when there was a knock on the door. Shooting the door a quick glance Danny tried to refocus on his math, finding it much easier to watch the woman get up and walk over to the door.

He tried to ignore the conversation following the lines of numbers that would eventually lead him to the answer. The door opened wider and two guards entered the room their shadows falling over Danny. With a sigh Danny gave up, scribbled a “Beat’s me” as the answer and turned to look up at the guards one of whom Danny recognized as Dale from the intake.

“Stand up and put your hands out in front of you.” Said the second guard. A dark skinned man with squared features, stubble bearded and a receding hairline.

Danny hesitated for a moment wondering what he had done to warrant the guards interrupting and cuffing him. He caught Dale’s eyes, none of the tired kindness he’d seen in the man’s face the first night was there, he was staring coldly down at Danny who slowly got up from his seat holding out his hands for him, palms down.

The cuffs were slapped on around his wrists and Dale turned letting the other guard lead Danny out of the room. Danny recognized the corridors up until they took a turn through a metal security door that boomed loudly when it closed behind them. The new corridor was completely empty apart from the evenly spaced doors. Dale opened one of the doors seemingly at random and walked in ahead of Danny and the other guard.

The room inside turned out to be an office. A large bookshelf held binders of different colors, there was just enough floor space for a sturdy desk with a computer, an office chair behind it and two metal chairs in front of it. Dale walked around the desk to sit down in the office chair. The officer behind Danny guided him over to sit in one of the metal once.

As soon as he’d sat Danny down the officer turned and walked out again. Danny listened as his footsteps disappeared down the hall they had just walked through followed by the loud boom of the door. Sighing Danny returned his eyes to the officer in front of him.

Dale wasn’t looking at Danny, instead he was staring at the computer screen the soft light from the screen illuminated his face. Sinking down in his seat Danny closed his eyes and waited. He had a feeling he was in trouble, being in the office was like being called in to Mr Lancer’s office it had the same square footage and even the same smell.

Licking his lips Danny tried to taste the emotions in the room but ether Dale was completely void of emotions or he was good at hiding them. Or he could be a ghost? Danny opened an eye to look the man up and down and then dismissed the thought. His ghost sense hadn’t gone off and no ghost could keep themselves from gloating over Danny’s situation, it was in their nature to make fun of him and rub salt in his wounds.

The low boom of the door in the corridor outside sounded again and Danny turned his head to listen to the sound of two different sets off shoes walking through the hall. One set was the same heavy booted steps of the guard that had just left and the second had a shuffling walk. The steps stopped outside the door and a moment later it opened.

“Get in.” said the guard and Erik walked in. Like Danny he’d been cuffed but there was a smile on his face that grew wider when he saw Danny.

“Hey Dan great, do you know what a Machicolation is?” Asked Erik sitting down in the chair beside Danny seemingly unpassed by being brought to the jail version of a principal’s office.

“It’s a part of a midlevel castle’s defense, it’s the holes in the battlements that lets the defenders get at the attackers just beneath the wall instead of having a blind spot there where they have to expose themselves to get at the attackers.” Said Danny remembering the half hour of his life he, Sam and Tucker had spent outside of their roleplaying game just to prove to Jazz, who was new at the game, that hiding at the foot of the wall wasn’t that smart.

Erik laughed. “Is there something you don’t know?” he asked stretching his legs.

“Why we are here.” Said Danny glancing up at Dale who up until that moment had stayed silent watching the two’s exchange.

“You two are here because we did random cell tosses on your block today and found this in your cell.” He put the plastic bag holding what was left of the blood blossom Danny hadn’t brought with him to breakfast. “Would any of you like to tell me what this is?” asked Dale in a very calm way that sounded more threatening than any shouting or growling would.

“Never seen it.” Said Erik quickly. Danny gave his options a quick thought before curiously reaching for the bag on the table. He stopped himself before he could put his hands on the bag and looked up in to Dale’s eyes. The man was staring at him but didn’t make any gesture for Danny to stop.

Putting his hands on the bag Danny pulled it closer and squinted at the petals inside the bag. He turned the it this way and that before making a surprised face and trowing the bag back on the table making his best to back away and look scared. “Get that bloody shit away from here.” He said and found it surprisingly easy to act scared, maybe he already was a bit afraid of what would happen if he was too close to the blood blossom for too long.

The other three in the room gave him a quizzical look. “You know what that is?” asked Erik stretching to see the bag more clearly. The guard behind them put a firm hand on Danny’s shoulder when he tried to back away making him sit down again.

“It’s called Blood Blossom.” Said Danny biting the inside of his cheek forcing himself to take a deep breath and not over do the fear. “I can’t be near that shit, it nearly killed me last fall.” He said remembering the horrible feeling of trying to draw in air and finding that he couldn’t.

“We found it under your bunk Fenton, you got any idea of how it got there?” asked Dale pulling the bag closer to himself and away from Danny.

Sure he knew how it had gotten there, Danny thought, he had been the one to hid the blood blossom there. Though in retrospect he should have hidden it inside the wall. “No. Like I said I can’t be near that shit or I’ll stop breathing.” Said Danny wondering how he was going to get out of this mess.

Dale turned to Erik. “Jackson?” he began but the older teen flung up his hands in a defensive gesture.

“No I am not going near drugs or any of the kind, you know that sir.” Danny frowned at this, he had read Erik’s file, or skimmed over it, but there was no report of drug use or anything like that.

Narrowing his eyes on Erik, Danny could see Dale wasn’t buying any of their excuses but he couldn’t pin it on any of them. After what felt like an hour of Dale staring suspiciously at the two of them did the man lean back in his chair. “Officer Nix take Jackson back to his class I want a word with Fenton.”

Scratching his palms Danny watched as the officer led Erik out of the room and then listened as they walked down the hall. “You can drop the bullshit Fenton.” Said Dale before the door at the end of the corridor slammed close.

“Come again?” said Danny asking himself what the man knew or if he suspected something, he had been careful keeping his actions low key and using a copy when he couldn’t be sure that no one would be looking for him.

“You act cute and innocent, but I’m willing to bet this week’s paycheck that you are the only one in here who knows what this shit is.” He said holding up the bag for Danny to see.

“I’ll take that bet, I told that medic about my allergy so I am not the only one in here who knows what blood blossom is.” Said Danny betting that also the ghost inside Gab knew what blood blossom was and would probably inform his host of the potential danger if he knew Danny had it.

Dale huffed and opened the bag. “I was informed of this allergy of yours and do you know what I found when I googled the word Blood Blossom?”

“A bunch of nothing.” Said Danny. He and Sam had googled Blood Blossom when they came back from their adventures with the Infi-Map. “You should try googling Sanguinem germinabunt.” Dale gave Danny a confused look. “It’s its Latin Name, all flowers got one.” He explained.

To his credit, Dale didn’t emideatly turn to his computer and type in the words. He put down the open bag and clicked around on the computer for a moment before typing. Danny rubbed his nose as the man scanned the pages on the computer before raising an eyebrow. “It is a tasty ingredient in a salad?” he read out loud.

“So I’ve heard, AChh!” Danny sneezed and winced. His throat was feeling sore again. “Would you mind, I can smell that from over here.” He said pointing at the bag on the table.

Sighing Dale closed the bag and put it in the top desk drawer. “Better?” he asked. Danny sneezed again and shrugged.

“Probably.” He sighed slouching down in the chair. He wanted to know why Dale had asked Erik to go, he could have accused Danny of smuggling the Blood Blossom in with the other teenager still there.

Crossing his arms over his chest Dale studied Danny for a long moment. “Who gave you the black eye?” he asked after a while.

Shrugging Danny scratched his hands, the itching had gotten more intense. “Fell out of bed.” He said.

“Doubt that. Jackson tends to climb in to his cellmates bunk at night, or haven’t you noticed?” Dale’s eyes tracked down to Danny’s hands.

“Sure I’ve noticed, he’s breathing down my neck every night.” Grumbled Danny wondering if Dale had a point with his questions.

“Most young men finds it uncomfortable with him sleeping next to them.” Said Dale.

“I’m not most young men. I don’t mind as long as he keeps his hand’s to himself.” His nose itched and he rubbed it again and didn’t sneeze this time.

“How about the shower incident?” Asked Dale getting a red eyed glare from Danny.

“What about it, I defended myself the guards recognized that.” Dale lifted his hand’s palms up.

“Relax Danny, I just want to know how you are doing, if there’s any trouble that we need to know about, like the shower incident.” He said in a calm non-threatening voice. “You’ve been in here for less than a week and you’ve already been in two or more fights.”

“You could just ask instead of dancing around the question.” Sighed Danny rubbing his eyes. “I try to avoid fights just so you know.” He lowered his hands, starring down at them. Yeah he never went looking for a fight they just happened.

Dale tried to ask him some more questions but Danny didn’t elaborate and in the end the man showed Danny to the infirmary where the medic gave him an ointment for the rash recognizing an allergic reaction on sight. After that Danny was shown back to his cell.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We know that Dash has woken up but what is his side of the story, can he remember what happened and if so how did Dash’s blood get on Danny’s hands.

It was a little past noon when Jareau walked out of Fenton Works with less information than she had hoped for. But then she should have expected less considering how careful Danny was hiding his powers from his parents. She had been surprised to hear that he was inventing something ghost related of his own but that he refused to tell his parents what it was.

She had found it interesting to know that Mrs Fenton had put a tracking software on his phone and was keeping an eye on his academic work. They had shown her Danny’s collection of detention slips and Jareau had noticed like Mrs Fenton that Danny hadn’t been given detention for the last two weeks, not after his fight with Baxter during quarantine. “It was a ghost most likely, gaining power from the sleeping students dreams.” Maddie had explained. Jareau had found it more interesting to know that it was because Danny had disappeared on his mother during this incident that led her to put a tracking software on his phone.

Reaching the black SUV which she’d parked down the road Jareau glanced left and right before walking out in to the road and getting in to driver’s seat. She sighed sitting down and was about to put the key in the ignition when a voice spoke from behind her. “Did they get anything from snooping around in Danny’s stuff?"

Reaching instinctively for her gun Jareau turned around in her seat. Her eyes fell on the three teenagers sitting in the backseat. Two she knew as Sam and Tucker, Sam being the one that had spoken whereas Tucker, who wasn’t wearing his glasses, was poking around on an iPad. The third was a girl with dark skin, long curling hair, turquois eyes and a stubborn set to her jaw. She recognized the girl from a photo on Danny’s phone she’d seen during the Christmas Mall-Booming case. The three of them was clearly his closest friends. “Shouldn’t you be in school?” she asked relaxing, taking her hand away from her gun.

They exchanged a look. “Free period.” Said the three in such a way that Jareau found it hard to believe them. “Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with the cops interviewing Dash?” Asked Sam.

Jareau narrowed her eyes at the young woman. It was possible that the news that Dash Baxter had woken up had spread to the school, after all he was the football star. But she knew for a fact that only the police and the ones who had to be present during the interview would know when it took place. She didn’t because it wasn’t actually the BUA’s case and they were more seen as people to be informed afterwards of what had happened and what had been said. So the question was how these three teenagers knew of it.

The curly haired girl rolled her eyes and looked at Sam. “I don’t think they know how much information there is on the net.”

Sam shushed her. “She don’t need to know Valeri, She only have to know that we know.” Sam turned to Tucker. “How fare have they gotten?” She asked glancing at the iPad and Jareau could see that Tucker was wearing a pair of earbuds.

“The doctor have just left and Mr Baxter is giving another speech.” Sighed Tucker and the pieces fell in to place.

“Don’t tell me you hacked in to the hospital security cameras?” she asked reaching for the iPad.

Tucker pulled out the earbuds and handed Jareau the iPad. “No I just piggybacked on a signal coming from the mayor’s office.” Jareau stared at the screen. It was a feed from the security camera in Dash Baxter’s hospital room, she could see him almost in the center of the screen sitting in bed propped up by a dozen pillows and with electors coming out from the neck of his hospital gown and an IV connected to his left arm. Beside him sat a broad shouldered stocky man with thinning dark blond hair and a thick mustache, Mr Baxter if the file Garcia had sent Jareau was right, which it always was. On the opposite side of the bed was two cops Jareau had meet before.

“The interview starts sixth of February 2017 at 13:21 pm. The people present are Dash Baxter, his father Hubert Baxter,” The three teenagers snorted behind Jareau. “Conducting the interview is senior officer Martin Grayson and Jimmy McGiffin.” Said officer Grayson a tape recorder laying on the table beside the bed.

“Interview here and interview there, this is starting to sound more like an interrogation to me.” Said Mr Baxter his voice loud.

“I assure you sir it’s just for the record.” Said Grayson  talking in that same way that Jareau knew she did when trying to calm down upset relatives.

Jareau saw Dash close his eyes and sigh wincing when he breathed in too deeply. “Can’t you just let them do their job Dad.” Said the boy his words sounding a bit thick and Jareau wondered on how much morphine he was on and if he was even able to give a proper statement of what had happened.

“I’m only looking out for you boy. You shouldn’t let other people control the conversation.” Said Mr Baxter and Jareau saw Dash roll his eyes, clearly they had had this conversation before.

“If we could continue.” Said Grayson giving Mr Baxter that insisting look that all experienced cops had. Turning to Dash he continued. “Could you please tell us what happened on Wednesday?” he asked not pointing out that it had almost been a week or specifying any details which they already knew.

Jareau could feel the teenagers lean in around her to watch, all of them were very quiet making Jareau wonder what they knew about the incident. Dash blinked and moved a hand to his head stopping before he could touch the bandages. “Haven’t Fenton already told you?” he asked letting his hand fall back in to his lap.

The officers didn’t so much as glance at each other’s, they had already agreed on what they would say if that question came up, it was standard after all. Never give away any information that isn’t completely necessary. “We want to hear your side of the story, to see if there are any missing details.” Said Grayson.

Dash nodded and his eyes went to his Dad for a moment. Mr Baxter took this as the boy needing reassurance. “It’s alright son tell them what happened you are the victim in this situation they are on your side.”

Wincing Jareau saw Dash’s mouth turn down and he bit his lower lip. “Can someone put a filter on that man.” Whispered Valeri from beside Jareau.

“Guess this is a good explanation for Dash poor word filter as well.” Muttered Tucker getting a light flick on the head from Sam who schussed them.

Returning their attention to the screen Jareau could see Dash fidgeting with the monitor attached to his left index finger. “You mean what happened during lunch break?” he asked getting an encouraging nod from his dad.

“Yes, you have an early lunch break on Wednesday’s?” Asked Grayson getting a nod from Dash. “What happened?”

Dash shrugged. “I looked up Dan, we made planes for our homework.” He said.

“What do you need to make planes for homework for, you just do them, the teachers doesn’t care of you hand it in finished or not.” Huffed Mr Baxter drawing another glare from the police officers.

“But you don’t get in to college if you failed all your classes Dad, football isn’t everything.” The last words were barely audible and Jareau could see Dash shrink under his fathers gaze.

Grunting Mr Baxter leaned back in his chair crossing his arms. “This Dan is like that Fenton girl who would tutor you?” asked the man his disappointment obvious.

“Yes, only I don’t pay him and we help each other.” A smile tugged at Dash’s mouth. “He can’t figure out the circumference of a circle even if he stood in one.” The three teenagers in the car snickered.

“Where were you when you talked?” Asked Grayson keeping an eye on Mr Baxter.

“Chemistry classroom 301 I think.” Dash meet Grayson’s eyes. “Didn’t he already tell you this?”

“We are just making sure that you remember the same facts.” Said Grayson calmly getting a huff from Mr Baxter which he ignored. “So after you made planes for your homework what happened then?”

Biting the inside of his cheek Dash turned away from Grayson. “We didn’t make any planes, that…” he waved a hand, “Ninja ghost or whatever walked in, through the door and did some freaky ninja kick sending Dan in to the benches. He hit his head I think because he was, you know covering it like you do when you hit your head in practice.” All the occupants in the car was leaning closer to hear what was being said.

“What did you do?” Asked Grayson doing his best to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

“I’m not a coward okay.” Said Dash defensively getting a snort from his father that made Dash stop in his track staring down on the blanket. He seemed to steal himself before he opened his mouth and continued. “I froze, hell who wouldn’t when some dude walks through a solid door and kick’s a guy across the classroom.”

“I know I would.” Said McGiffin.

Dash nodded at him and turned speaking more to the young officer than to Grayson. “I mean I didn’t stand there and just watch the guy beat the wimp up I was just slow to the start.”

“Probably because no one beats up his wimp without his permission.” Whispered Valeri getting an agreeing hum from the other teenagers.

“The… guy, cus he was solid so he can’t have been a ghost, but he walked through the door so he must have been one…” Dash shook his head. “The jerk was strangling Dan who made some freakish ninja move of his own to break the other guys hold. I couldn’t just let the loser get his ass handed to him so I tackled the jerk to the ground before he could take another swing at Dan. I think I told him to get out but the freak never listens. Next thing I know I’m the one on the ground with the ninja jerk actually head-butting me, Dan is trying to get him off me and the jerk gets up kicks him in the gut and then  spins around and makes that ninja kick again.” Dash was fidgeting with the monitor on his finger again. “He didn’t get up after he hit the blackboard and the jerk was going for him again so I tackled him to the floor again. He turns on me instead and this guy is strong. I take a my fair share of hits during practice that the gear doesn’t protect me from but that was nothing compared to the beating this freak dished out.”

They saw him trail the colorful bruises on his arms falling quiet. “Do you remember how the fight ended?” asked McGiffin having taken over asking the questions.

Dash chewed the inside of his mouth. “There was a flash, a green flash probably from an ecto-gun, the dud always carries one around in his backpack. The ninja sort of ran.” Dash shuddered.

“Can you remember anything else?” Asked Grayson.

Flicking a glance at his Dad Dash nodded. “I remember hurting all over, couldn’t breathe because it hurt so much.” He frowned. “Dan said that my ribs were broken, he screamed for help, or maybe he just screamed sounds the same in the wimps voice. I remember feeling cold before someone pulled the wimp away and then I woke up here.”

“Guess that proves it then, Danny didn’t hurt Dash, it was this other dud.” Said Tucker a note of relief in his voice.

“Shssss. They are still going.” Hushed Valeri her hair falling around her neck.

“So in short, you and Dan was in the chemistry classroom when this ninja guy walks in and kick’s Dan across the classroom making him hit his head.” Began Grayson.

“He walked through the door.” Corrected Dash. “Like a ghost you know without opening it.”

“You mean he phased through the door.” Said Mr Baxter.

“Yeah. Phased.” Agreed Dash.

“Okay,” Grayson wrote in his notebook. “So after he kicked Dan, he tries to strangle your friend.” Dash’s face twitched but he nodded. “Dan makes the other one let go and they get up. You tackle the ninja guy who somehow ends up on top head buts you before Dan gets the guy off you.”

“No he annoyed the guy so he got up and kicked him in the gut with his knee.” Said Dash sounding annoyed himself.

“He gets up, kicks Dan in the gut with a knee, spins around and then kicks him across the classroom again this time making Dan hit the blackboard where he goes down and doesn’t move.” Dash nodded. “You then tackles the guy and ends up getting beaten up instead until you see a flash of green you think is an ECTO-gun. After which the attacker runs away and Dan tries to help you by calling for help.”

“He phased through me.” Blurted Dash out so fast that they could hardly hear what he said.

“Come again?” Asked Grayson.

Dash sighed. “There was the flash then the guy phases down through me and the fucking floor. I think Dan tried to hit it with his fist but wasn’t fast enough.” Dash avoided looking in his Dad’s direction, the man obviously had his own opinions.

“So where’s Fenton in this picture boy? He was caught with your blood on his hands?” The officers gave Mr Baxter a hard glare that didn’t affect the man.

Dash was twisting a handful of his blanket. “Shit he’s not going to tell them.” Said Valeri getting Jareau to turn away from the screen for the first time.

Grayson sighed. “Dash can you tell us Dan’s full name so we can question him as well?”

“Guess the police is as thick as they get.” Sighed Sam. “They can’t figure out something as simple as Dan being a nickname for Danny.” She made a face. “A bad one at that.”

They all leaned forward when Dash spoke, only it wasn’t loud enough for even the people present to hear. “Speak up boy, no one can hear you when you are mumbling.” The heart monitor beside the bed had started to bip faster and everyone except for Mr Baxter could see Dash’s anxiety grow as he spoke again but not loud enough. “I said Speak up BOY.” Growled Mr Baxter almost rising from his seat.

“Sir would you please be quiet, you are not helping.” Said Grayson drawing Mr Baxter’s hard eyes on him. Jareau recognized the neutral expression the old leathery officer wore on his face as he stared back at the man and without another word made the burly man huff and turn away. “Dash you don’t have to tell us now we can come back later you did good telling such a traumatic story.”

“I call Fenton Dan.” Said Dash in a thin voice.

“You WHAT!” Mr Baxter rose from his chair. “You defend the twig who almost killed you last fall, have you gone insane boy!”

“Mr Baxter could we talk outside.” Said Grayson raising his voice and getting out of his own chair.

“Shut up you I’m talking to my son here. You have any idea how stupid you are to fraternize with that sort of people. Haven’t I told you to keep away from him after the stunt you pulled during that field trip!”

The four people stared in stunned silence as Mr Baxter went on yelling at his son. Grayson tried to calm the man down and get him out of the room but when a nurse entered the room, probably because of Dash’s heart rate being too high she ordered them out and both Grayson and McGiffin escorted Mr Baxter out with brute force.

“And here I thought Dash and his Dad got along.” Said Tucker breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“A lot of troubled teenagers have problems at home that’s why they act out and more often than not becomes bullies themselves.” Said Jareau taking a deep breath wondering how much Danny knew of Dash’s situation.

“But this proves that Danny is innocent.” Said Sam sitting back. “You can get him out of Jail now.”

“Aren’t there still evidence that says otherwise?” asked Valeri glancing over at Sam who gave her a cold glare. “I’m not saying that I don’t want him back, God knows I can’t keep up with all this ghost fighting when there’s this many ghosts attacking daily, I don’t even know how he does it. All I’m saying is that he was found with Dash’s blood on his hands and clothes, we saw him when they brought him out of school, and he wasn’t injured.”

“The evidence is circumstantial.” Said Jareau turning to face the three teenagers wondering how much she should tell them and how much they already knew. “Danny told Prentiss that he got the cuts on his hands from blowing something up in chemistry class.”

“Yeah I was there, he is really slow to dodge and tried to go intangible when the thing exploded, protected his face with his hands and I had to spend the rest of class digging the shards out of him.” Said Valeri.

“Right and the blood on his clothes could be from trying to help Dash.” Said Tucker. “Same thing with the blood on his hands.”

“Which only leaves the fact that he was unhurt and had bruises on his knuckles. How do we explain that.” Asked Sam.

“Skulker.” Said Valeri. “He fought Skulker on that day and judging by the fact that he hasn’t come around today to get his revenge for being stuck in the thermos over the weekend it means his armor is probably broken. So Danny probably smashed the armor.”

“He was using a copy to fight the ghost, so half the damage he took must have healed when he remerged.” Said Tucker.

Jareau found it quiet enjoyable to see the teenagers come up with a full picture of the events like real detectives. “But he doesn’t remember the fight, how do you explain that?” asked Valeri fiddling with a curl of her hair.

“Mr and Mrs Fenton went to see Danny this weekend. And Mrs Fenton suspect he has a concussion which would explain the memory loss, it also corresponds with Dash Baxter’s story.” Said Jareau giving them the only piece of information they didn’t seem to have.

“So we can get Danny out of Jail now.” Said Sam and Jareau noticed that the girls nails that normally would be painted in some dark or neon color was flaking in the nail polish department and the edges were uneven and short like she had been biting them.

“We have to wait for the report to be written up and then for ether Garcia to get her hands on it or for Amity Park PD to send it to us. If they don’t send word to Raithshore. We can probably get Danny out tomorrow morning at the earliest.” Explained Jareau. She saw Sam bite her lower lip and move to chew on the nail before stopping herself.

“Besides you know how Danny is Sam.” Said Tucker. “The ghost at Raithshore is possessing someone which Danny wouldn’t allow. Not to mention that it’s likely the Ripper ghost controlling him. If I know Danny. I know he’s blaming himself for letting the sword get in to Bjorn’s hands. He will want to stop the ghost before anyone else gets hurt.”

Sam gave Tucker a sour look. “Even if he get hurt in the proses. I know.” Her eyes flicked to Jareau.

“Did you say the Ripper ghost?” Sam and Tucker nodded. “The same one that was in Chicago?” they nodded again and Jareau had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Imagen how Danny is feeling.” Said Sam reading Jareau’s expression.

Swallowing, her mouth suddenly dry Jareau glanced back at the iPad where the window showing the feed from the hospital security camera had disappeared and another security feed was showing, this one of a large room with metal doors evenly spaced along one wall and round metal tables with welted on stoles spread around the room. There was only a few people in the room most sitting around the tables ether talking or playing board games. In the corner she saw two blue eyes stare straight in to the camera almost hidden under the black fringe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck me! Had a writer’s block up until this chapter then it all just flowed and wow, well now you know a bit more about Dash’s relationship with his Dad and almost everything is reviled. The end of this story is coming up and I hope I can make the next couple of chapters as good as this one.


	34. Chapter 34

They were given a ride back to school by agent Jareau who dropped them of in front of the main building ordering them to keep out of trouble before driving off. Exchanging a look with each other the three smirked, they wouldn’t stay out of trouble.

“I have to get back to class or Mr Peabody is going to fail me in history based on my attendance alone.” Said Valeri hitching her backpack higher on her shoulders.

“Yeah we’ll tell you if any ghost drops by.” Said Tucker moving to follow her in to the school as well. They both stopped on the top step to the entrance and looked back at Sam who was still standing on the sidewalk. “You coming, we still have school?”

Shaking her head Sam turned to head down the street. “I’ll see you later.” She said. She had a plan or more like an idea that might free Danny faster.

She could hear Tucker and Valeri exchange words before Tucker came running after her huffing. “Slow down a bit would you.” He said catching up to Sam who slowed down a bit, she always had to slow down for him and Danny. “What are you thinking?” asked Tucker once he’d caught his breath.

Sighing Sam crossed her arms. “Who in town do we know that has enough influence to hurry up the police?” she asked.

“Your mom?” Said Tucker giving her a confused look lifting his hand to his face to adjust a pair of glasses that weren’t there. He’d told Sam that morning that he was wearing lenses and the only reason he didn’t were them every day was because it took him a long as time to put them in in the morning.

“My mom won’t lift a finger to help Danny, you know that. Who else?” She said sure of the fact that her mom’s dislike for Danny was stronger than her love for Sam if they weren’t the same.

Tucker frowned at Sam. “You can’t involve him.” He said. “We don’t even have any material to blackmail him with.”

Rolling her eyes Sam ran a nail-bitten finger over her leather belt. “You boys are all so predictable. We don’t have to black mail him he will help us because he wants to.” They turned down the main road running straight for the center of Amity Park.

“Let me guess you are going to ask nicely and use some feminine manipulation to get him to help us. I think you are the wrong person for that.” Said Tucker.

Sam speed up making him work to keep up with her. “It’s not about feminine manipulation you pig, it’s about knowing what he wants and offering it to him.” She kept up the speed keeping Tucker from speaking that way.

They stopped in front of Amity Park Town hall and Sam let Tucker catch his breath. “You know he can turn this against us or put Danny in a worse situation than he did the last time simply by taking us hostage.”

“We can protect ourselves.” Sighed Sam getting a bit annoyed at Tuckers protests. Didn’t he want Danny back in town, couldn’t he see that he was in over his head without them. “Put on your Spector-Deflector.” She ordered Tucker.

“It’s in my locker.” Huffed Tucker straightening. “Besides you aren’t wearing yours.”

Rolling her eyes again Sam dug out her Spector-Deflector from her bag and threw it at Tucker. “I don’t need it any more, put it on and we can go in.”

Tucker gave her a suspicious look putting the belt on and activating it. “You know they have metal detectors in here for people who wants to see the Mayor.” Said Tucker tapping his bag. “We can’t bring any Fenton Gear inside they count’s as weapons, except for the thermos and Deflector and maybe the headphones.”

Taking the few steps up to the front door Sam glanced over her shoulder at Tucker. “I know that, that’s why I’m leaving my bag with the secretary.” She said entering the huge building walking over to the receptionist that was sitting between the two security checkpoints with metal detectors, installed after Jack Fenton barged in to the Mayor’s office one to many times hunting ghosts or showing of his new inventions.

Sam head Tucker come in after her before the door closed with an audible click. “Hello how may I help you?” asked the receptionist that fake polite smile on her face that made Sam feel sick just looking at her.

“We are here to see Mayor Master could you keep an eye on our things while we are up to see him.” She said putting her bag on the woman’s desk before turning to walk through the checkpoint.

“Wait. Miss Miss you can’t just walk in here.” Said the receptionist giving Tucker a confused look as he too placed his backpack on her desk.

“Just go with it, there’s no stopping her.” Said Tucker before following Sam through the metal detectors that didn’t go of when she past through them but screamed when Tucker tried to walk through.

A security guard that had already moved when he heard the receptionist complain about Sam moved over to stop Tucker. “You have any metal objects on you sir?” he asked letting his partner stop Sam. “Turn around Miss if you don’t have an appointment you can’t go through here.” He said.

Sam planted her feet’s, crossed her arms and glared up at the man. “Then run up to the mayor and tell him to clear his schedule for Manson or the gracious founding for Amity Park’s security increase after the mall bombing is going to stop.” The man blinked at her.

“Miss you have to go back…” he began but Sam narrowed her eyes on him finding his name pinned to his black uniform.

“Listen Mr Haley. I am going to go up those stairs and talk to the Mayor.” She snapped her fingers at the receptionist who was speaking in to a phone. “She is already announcing our presence here and in a moment the Mayor is going to order you to let us through so you either step out of our way now or wait till your boss tells you like the guard dogs you are to step aside.” She could hear Tucker go through the metal detector again and this time the guard took out the detection wand to detriment where the metal was.

The guard was over apprehension at being talked back at by a girl nearly half his size and definitely half his age. “Listen miss. You go back to the receptionist and get an appointment you don’t barge in here like Pamela Manson.”

Tucker snorted. “Dud they don’t know who you are.” He said to Sam who felt a biter smile tug at the corners of her mouth, she had worked hard to separate herself from her mother but now that she needed the woman’s name and reputation the most she didn’t have it.

“The irony isn’t lost on me.” Sighed Sam. She squared her shoulders and put her hands on her hips ready to stand there all day till the old man came out if she had to.

The receptionist put down her phone and raised her voice. “You can let them through, Mayor Master will see them.” She said.

The guards gave the two teenagers an annoyed glare but stepped aside and let them proceed. They both knew where Vlad Master had his office in the building, they had broken in there before with Danny’s help. Going up the stairs to the third floor they walked down a large hall where other officials had their offices until they reached the one at the very end of the corridor. Sam knocked on the door twice before walking in.

The mayor was sitting behind his desk, leaning back relaxed in his office chair a bunch of papers in his left hand and an expensive looking fountain pen in his other. “Shouldn’t you be in school Miss Manson?” asked the silver-haired man not lifting his eyes from the papers he was apparently reading. “Instead of harassing my security guards and giving empty threats.”

“Should you be hacking hospital security cameras to watch a police interview?” Asked Sam walking up to stand on the other side of the desk her arms crossed over her chest once more.

“Don’t try and deny it I tracked your IP address, the hack came from your office.” Huffed Tucker pressing a hand against the pain in his side closing the door behind him.

Sighing Vlad flicked to the next page. “Do you have a point with this visit or are you just here to tell me that you illegally entered my computer?” A smile tugged at the corners of the man’s mouth. “I could have you arrested for that and you could join your friend in jail, I’m sure Daniel would like that.”

Digging her nails in to her arms Sam scowled at the man. “You know as well as we do that Danny is innocent, that he’s a victim in this mess.”

Vlad shrugged. “He got himself in to trouble, he can get himself out of it.”

“Not before he half kills himself and you know that.” She forced herself to take a deep breath and count back from ten calming herself. Once she opened her eyes again she saw that Vlad was looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. “I’m not asking you to move the ocean Vlad I am simply asking you to put some pressure on the police to get him out before tomorrow.”

Her words seemed to intrigue the man who turned and put down the papers he’d been reading. “Why before tomorrow?” he asked.

Sam glanced at Tucker who had come up to stand beside her a curious look on his face as well. She bit her lip and scraped her nails along the thick fabric of her jacket. “I have a bad feeling that he’s in over his head.” She said.

Smirking Vlad leaned back looking her up and down for a moment. “What’s in it for me?” he asked and to his surprise Sam raised her chin and smiled sweetly down at him.

She put a hand in her pocket and pulled out a ball the size of a golf ball. “I won’t crack this.” She said.

Vlad gave her the look an adult might give a child who tried to act like an adult. “I am quivering in my shoes. Please Samantha is this supposed to be a threat?” he asked.

“Yes, and I think you’ve already tasted the effects of my…” She searched for the right word. “Trail experiments.” She said. “Mom never brought you any blood blossom, that was just me recoloring some roses. This is the thing you felt the effect of care to guess what it is?” he bobbled the ball in her hand.

She could see Vlad thinking, his eyes focused on the ball in her hand, his tongue licked his lips in much the same way Danny’s would in a similar situation. “I can assume that it’s something containing Blood Blossom.” He said scratching his beard.

“You are on the right track, but for the sake of this conversation I’m going to go ahead and tell you. It’s a smoke bomb filled with powdered Blood Blossom. Knowing you it won’t kill you right off but it will make you suffer before you can get help. I got plenty more of these so don’t think your safe just taking this from me.”  She closed her hand around the ball carefully so as not to accidentally crack the outer shell. She could see Tucker smiling beside her standing confidently beside her.

“Do we have a deal?” asked Tucker crossing his arms over his chest.

Vlad gave the two teenagers that indulgent parent smile. “No.” he said and a hand closed around Sam’s wrist. She froze looking over her shoulder to find Plasmius smiling down on her. The hand around her wrist tightened preventing her from crushing the ball in her hand. “Now should we renegotiate?” Asked Vlad an air of superiority on his face.

Sam turned to the man behind the desk and with a blank expression on her face she stepped back putting her back against the ghost who suddenly stiffened. “You don’t think I come here unprepared.” Said Sam staring at Vlad who had raised an eyebrow at his copy’s strange behavior. Raising her free hand to her head where she had poked a wooden hairpin in her ponytail Sam pulled it out and gave the hand around her wrist a light pinprick that made him hiss before dissolving into a fine mist that returned to Vlad. “Now would you be so kind as to put some pressure on the police to get Danny out?” she asked sweetly a storm brewing behind her purple eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually started writing the next chapter before this but that would result in less Vlad and I wouldn’t be able to present Sam’s version of ghost hunting gear that is based on Blood blossom and will have different effects than the Fenton gear. (Also builds on Sam’s love for plants and the environment.)It now hits me that I’ve given each of the trio an power up in this story (Valerie is already too powerful so you can’t really make her any stronger without turning her into a God)


	35. Chapter 35

Danny stomach growled and was echoed by Gab. Opening an eye Danny glanced at the other teenager. They were sitting around the corner table again, Erik, Kevin and Gab were doing their schoolwork were as Danny was using their books as pillows giving them helpful input. Gab pulled a face but kept working.

Looking a bit closer Danny could see that Gab was sweating and looked pale. Biting his lower lip Danny wondered if the blood blossom was making him sick. “You feeling alright?” asked Danny.

Gab glanced at him and something green flickered in his eyes. “Yeah I’m fine.” He said but his stomach growled loudly again and he made a face bending over.

“You don’t look great.” Said Kevin reaching for Gab’s shoulder but stopped himself when Gab literary growled at him. “Chill man I wasn’t going to touch you.” Said Kevin returning his hand to his schoolwork.

Chewing on his lower lip Danny glanced at the clock above the guard station. It was almost time to return to their cells and would be another hour before the lights out call. If he went in to his cell now he could make a copy to take his place while he shadowed Gab. His own stomach growled reminding Danny that he hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Sighing Danny stretched and yawned hearing his bones and joints creaking. “Did you need any more of my help on this?” he asked.

“Naa this is the easy stuff.” Said Kevin turning to the other page of his worksheet.

Danny turned to Gab who shook his head before closing his books grabbing them all and with a grumbled “Later” he walked back to his cell. The three stared after Gab for a moment before turning back to the work on the table.

“If you need my help I’ll be in our cell.” Said Danny leaving the table and going back in to the cell.

Swinging up in to his bunk Danny lay back and closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost instantly, memories mixed with his dreams. One moment he was standing in a dark alley with the cut up corpse of a woman, turning around he found himself hovering in a dark cellar a glowing cube in front of him.

Every time he turned away from one horrible thing in his life he came face to face with another until something suddenly changed and he woke up in complete darkness his heart racing. Blinking he could see the cell take shape in the darkness and he let out a sigh of relief. ‘Calm down Fenton it was just a messed up dream, that’s all in the past.’ He thought to himself feeling the side of the bunk sink as two hands grabbed the edge.

Erik climbed up in to Danny’s bunk and gave him a quick smile seeing he was awake. “You aren’t even going to try hiding that you climb up to me any more are you?” Asked Danny sitting up whipping the sweat of his face.

“Would you like me to?” Asked Erik pulling of his t-shirt.

Combing his hair back with his fingers Danny gave Erik a blank look before shaking his head. “I’m not going to answer that.” He sighed laying back down pulling up the blanket around his ears. He felt Erik settle in as a pleasant warmth against his back.

Danny waited till Erik had fallen asleep before phasing through the mattress of the bunk turning in to Phantom with as little lightshow as possible. Once in ghost form Danny turned invisible and walked out of the cell floating over to the middle cell on the second floor where Kevin and Gab shared one.

Phasing through the cell door Danny was met by the sound of Gab throwing up in the toilet. “You should go to the infirmary.” Said Kevin sitting on the top bunk.

Flushing the toilet Gab turned to the sink in the same corner and washed out his mouth. “No it’s just the food. You remember the stomach bug everyone got during Christmas.” He smiled drily at Kevin. “That was a memorable Christmas.”

Kevin returned the smile laying back on his bunk. “Try not to keep me awake all night with our vomiting, I like to get some sleep.”

Turning off the tap Gab glanced up at top bunk and his eyes glowed red. He turned around facing the door stepping towards it. Danny reached out and grabbed Gab’s arm pulling him through the door drawing a yelp from the other. Taking a breath Danny dove in to the other before he had a chance to stop him.

This time Danny grabbed the form of the ghost inside Gab and managed to pull it out. Or tried to, just like when he tried pulling the ripper ghost out back in Chicago he only got half of it out before the ghost sucker punched him in the face with an ice fist.

Letting go of the ghost Danny got a glimpse of matted dirty white fur, clumped together with stains of green and black ectoplasm. The yeti returned to Gab and they both turned on Danny. “You again, I thought I killed you.” Growled Gab.

“Can’t kill what’s already dead.” Grinned Danny. “You want to try again?” he waved at the teenager to come at him. Gab did, letting out a bestial snarl flinging himself at Danny who dodged drawing Gab away from the other cells.

Danny kept dodging and backing away from the cells and guards. He found it a bit amusing that they were exchanging punches behind a guards back as he walked through the corridor with a mug of coffee in his hand. They ended up in the mess hall where the tables were bolted to the floor and didn’t budge when Danny slammed in to one his lower back going numb for a moment.

“You know Frostbite wants you to come home Bjorn.” Said Danny rolling out of the way of another ice-punch. He hadn’t seen Gab change his hand in to ice and wondered if Bjorn was the one concentrating on making it in to ice in the middle of a fight or if the other guy was that good.

“Who the fuck is Frostbite.” Growled Gab swinging a back kick at Danny who caught it and continued the motion throwing Gab of balance so that he could get a kick in to the others side.

Gab fell down to his knees pressing a hand to his side and the other to his mouth. “Are you asking me or Bjorn? While you’re at it ask him where the sword is.” Said Danny backing away from Gab concentrating on the feeling he’d had the night before when he turned his hand in to ice. He should have done it earlier when he had the chance to meditate instead of in the middle of a fight.

Feeling the power build up in his core Danny let his instincts guide his movements as Gab came flying at him again. He almost had the power he just needed to move it out in to his limb and then. Gab twisted midair in a way only ghosts could do and landed a kick to Danny’s side, the weakened ribs cracking audibly sending white hot pain through Danny’s chest breaking his concentration. “I don’t need a sword to take you down Phantom.” Spat Gab launching himself at Danny again.

“Screw it.” Growled Danny forcing his ice power out in to his right hand much more roughly than he’d wanted to. He swung his fist at Gab’s and saw it turn in to translucent ice the same moment their fists connected and a sound like cracking thunder echoed in the large room. “I don’t want to hurt you Gab. Just reject Bjorn and this can all be over.”

They pulled away from each other and started circling. “So you can do the ice fist to and you think it’s going to make me give up the only power I’ve ever known.” Danny saw pain flicker through Gab expression. “I bet you’ve never felt powerless Great One.”

“Did Bjorn tell you how I came to be called that of his people?” Asked Danny flexing his ice fingers, they felt numb unlike the other night when it had felt like having his hand in water.

“He told me you defeated the King of the Ghost Zone. What does that make you the new king or something?” Gab flung himself at Danny who instead of fighting the man dodged making them return to the circling of each other.

“No. It made me the target of more powerful ghosts. The only thing I gained from defeating him was allays and friends in the Far Frozen.” Danny jumped in to the air when Gab came at him again and they took up circling each other above the tables. “Friends like Bjorn. I want to help him, to get you help.”

Gab flung an ice ray at Danny who shielded. “Björn here and Björn there. We are happy together, we were happy until you decided to come here and invade our territory.” He swiped his hand out flinging ice power out in a circle around him.

Danny dropped and flung a normal ghost-ray at him with his right hand. For a moment he felt like his hand was on fire and someone was carving out a path in his hand with a knife before he released the blast hitting Gab on the side of his chest. They both let out sounds of pain and snarled curses never taking their eyes of each other.

Gab’s eye’s glowed and this time Danny was ready for his sudden speed. He moved under Gab’s punch, an ghost-ray charged in his hand, Danny placed his left palm to Gab’s chest releasing the blast. It was strong enough to send Gab to the floor a burn-mark the shape and size of Danny’s hand on his chest. The ghost had been thrown out of Gab and Danny got the full picture of Bjorn as he tried to scramble back to Gab.

The yeti was like Frostbite huge and covered in with fur, only it wasn’t glossy and white but gray and matted, caked together at places with dried ectoplasm. His clothes were torn and He looked like he was still bleeding. Danny intercepted him before he could reach Gab hitting the ghost square in the chest with his right fist.

The huge beast was twice as tall as Danny and though much leaner than Frostbite he was made of muscles. Hitting him only made him take a step back and then he swung his clawed fist at Danny sending him in to the wall driving the air out of his lungs a sound like an earthquake rumbling through the old building. Bjorn snarled and came at Danny who managed to dodge under his fist and get in a punch to the spot that on a normal human would have been painful and brought them to their knees but only seamed to irritate Bjorn who swiped a paw of ice at him claws scraping the front of Danny’s suit as he got out of the way.

“I meant what I said earlier Bjorn, I want to help you. Frostbite want’s you back.” He dodged another swipe from Bjorn blocking two more hits with his arms, frost exploding out from their points of contact. Bjorn was trying to freeze Danny, make him slow down. “Come on talk to me I know you can.”

Danny landed another punch to Bjorn’s side this time adding an ghost-blast to the punch drawing a bestial cry from the yeti. He was rewarded for his hit when Bjorn got a fistful of Danny’s hair and swung him around and in to a table that hit his hip making pain shoot through his leg and spine.

Pulling Danny up to his face Bjorn roared, the beast’s breath alone was enough to knock Danny out if the sound wasn’t beating at his sensitive ears. He was half aware of Bjorn licking the side of his face the sharp fans scraping his cheek. Apparently Danny didn’t taste good because Bjorn spat and Danny had the feeling of flying through the air before he crashed in to another table and the pain from his shoulders hitting the table brought him back to consciousness.

He slid across the table and fell to the floor beside the curled up form of Gab. Groaning and drawing ice to the parts of his body that was hurting the most Danny got to his feet. In time to get smacked down to the ground by Bjorn who’d landed on his hips making them slid along the floor, using Danny as a makeshift skateboard.

Growling in annoyance Danny twisted getting the beast of him so that he could stand. Bjorn swung his claws at Danny who avoided them blasting him in the face with an ghost-ray. Danny didn’t let up but landed a kick to the yeti’s stomach before coming at him with an uppercut from his ice fist.

The beast tucked its tail between his legs and tried to get away from Danny who didn’t let him run. He flew after the beast getting between him and Gab that was apparently Bjorn’s idea of a safe place. The yeti didn’t like Danny getting in his way and tried to smack him out of the way with his ice paw. Only Danny lifted his right arm in time to guard against the hit and without thinking he grabbed Bjorn’s arm and threw him over his hip and in to the wall at the base of the windows looking over the cliff.

Leaning his hands on his knees Danny caught his breath his glowing green eye’s never leaving Bjorn who was slowly getting up. Whipping the sweat of his face Danny flexed his muscles and was about to fly at the yeti when a sharp pain cut though his left ankle making him fall to his knees. “You are not taking him away from me.” Snarled Gab an icicle in his hand the other end buried in Danny’s ankle where neon green ectoplasm was coloring his boots an ugly dark green.

“Are you crazy I’m trying to save you.” Hissed Danny firing a ghost-ray at the icicle in Gab’s hand looking up in time to create a shield stopping Bjorn’s next blast. Pushing up of the ground Danny flew at the ghost their ice fists meeting in a loud boom which echoed throughout the building.

Breathing out a mist of ice in Bjorn’s face Danny blinded him and dodged the next punch that swung wide. He slammed his fist in to the yeti’s face over and over again, the ice breaking after his first hit. When Bjorn got his arm’s around Danny and forced him to the ground Danny didn’t stop. They wrestled for a moment till Danny head-butted the beast cold ectoplasm splashing on to his face but Bjorn didn’t let go of Danny he only dug his claws deeper in to his back drawing a cry of pain from Danny.

He froze the fingertips of his ice hand creating claws like the yeti carving out pieces of fur and ghostly flesh to make him let go. In any other fight with the yeti’s Danny wouldn’t have been able to do as much damage as he did without the other party giving up, yet Bjorn didn’t let go.

His hand scraped against the ghost’s core and Danny saw the beast snarl at him and tried to bite his face off. Danny punched again and the beast roared sounding as if it came from all around them. “Please stop.” Pleaded Danny as he hit Bjorn again, he didn’t have a choice there was no reasoning with him. In the background Danny could hear Gab shouting and snarling, crying out for Danny to stop.

Bjorn’s claws dug deeper in to Danny’s back and he drove his fist down on the exposed core. It cracked, the solid form under Danny becoming translucent and misty like a hologram. He hit again and the roar Bjorn let out made the windows shake and crack. The final punch made the core explode driving a shock-wave trough Danny, throwing him in to the air. His thigh hit corner of a table as he fell to the floor his right arm completely numb and his ears ringing.


	36. Chapter 36

The warmth of his human form washed over him as he lost control of his ghost form. He lay on his back wishing for the nothingness of being knocked out. But it never came, instead the light kept flickering and his ears continued to ring. A part of his mind that was still working told him that it wasn’t his ears that were ringing and the flickering lights weren’t because he’d hit his head to hard it was the alarm. He attributed the fact that the alarm hadn’t gone off sooner to Tucker, his friend must have kept an eye on the cameras and slowed down the guards reaction time.

A dark form loomed over Danny and it took him a second to make out Gab’s face. Tears were tracking down his cheeks and he put his hands on Danny’s shoulders. “You are safe now.” Mumbled Danny. He wanted to go to sleep, to return to his bunk and just relax, let his body heal and breath.

Gab’s hand’s pressed down on Danny’s neck and he suddenly realized what was going on. Before Danny could wriggle out of the others grip Gab had startled him pushing down on Danny’s neck with all his weight. “He was my power.” Said Gab tears landing on Danny’s face as he scrambled to get the others hand’s off, him his right arm refusing to do as he wanted.

The corners of Danny’s vision darkened and figures moved around them. Gab’s nails dug in to Danny’s neck. He tried to push the other guy of him, twist his hips to get him away and pain shot through him. Spots appeared in his vision, his lungs were burning, he needed to breath, he needed air.

Snaking his left arm up around Gab’s right Danny closed his eyes as he jerked and twisted the sharp sound like a gun barking cut through the ringing in his ears followed by a wail and Gab’s hands let go off him. His weight were pulled off Danny who gasped for air coughing  as his throat burnt, if it hadn’t been sore before it was now. Rolling over to his side Danny drew in deep breaths the pain in his chest making it even more painful to breathe.

His vison cleared enough for him to see two guards pinning Gab face down on the floor. A hand grab Danny’s shoulder. He jerked trying to pull in on himself but his battered body refused to move all the way. Gab’s shouted over the guards orders for him to calm down and shut up. “Let go of me you bastards! He took him away from me!”

Rolling his eyes Danny rolled back over on his back feeling the stabs from Bjorn’s claws. Drawing a deep breath Danny closed his eyes ignoring everything in his surrounding falling in to the rhythm Frostbite had taught him. He could feel the people move around him, could hear them talk, could still hear Gab shouting at him. Concentrating on his power he tried to will his ribs and the cut on his back to heal, hoping that he somehow could speed up the healing like he had the day before.

A sharp pain went through his right hand and wrist making Danny open his eyes and gritting his teeth’s he kept himself from screaming. “Okay let’s get him on the stretcher.” Said a man by Danny’s head and hands grabbed his right shoulder, side and leg rolling him over to his left side before letting him lay back on his aching back. “Hold it I think he’s awake.”

Danny glared in to the face of a man in his forties, with graying brown hair, a sharp chin and a stubble of a beard. “Was never asleep.” Sighed Danny turning his head to the side. “Do I know you?” he asked.

The EMT shrugged. He and the other guy lifted the stretcher Danny was laying on placing it on a gurney. Danny caught a glimpse of Gab cuffed to a gurney still shouting threats at him. “Come on let’s get you some help.” Said the EMT and Danny closed his eyes again trying to get back in the zone but the feeling of motion and the repeated buzzing of doors opening before they closed with a loud slam that echoed down the halls kept him awake.

When fresh air hit his face Danny opened his eyes and got a glimpse of the starry sky before the familiar roof inside the ambulance covered it. Sighing Danny winced at the pain in his throat and turned his head to look at what was happening around him. Officer Dale climbed in to the ambulance, he saw Danny watching him, “You got yourself in to some trouble today Danny.” He sighed sitting down on the only free seat apart from the one the EMT had.

“Wasn’t I already in trouble, or did I get locked up because I failed to hand in my homework.” He smiled up at Dale who did not look amused. Rolling his eyes Danny turned to look at the EMT. “I definitely know you.” He sighed.

“You from downtown Chicago?” Asked the man closing the doors and taking his seat beside Danny.

“No.” Danny took a deep breath numbing the pains with ice 'till it was just a dull ache. The memory of the last time he'd beens in an ambulance came rushing back together with the anxiety of knowing where it was taking him. He did his best to breath in the same slow way as before. “Alex, that’s your name right?” asked Danny getting a surprised look from both the EMT and Dale.

“Yeah, how did you know?” The man frowned down on Danny who gave him an exhausted smile.

“We met the first week of November on a crime scene in an alley.” Alex narrowed his eyes seemingly trying to remember that time. Danny couldn’t blame the man for not remembering him, he probably didn’t put the names and faces in his long-term memory. “We also meet at the police station a day later.” Danny could see when the man recognized him.

“Holly shit, you the kid that was stabbed twice. What are you doing in jail?” There was a smile on the man’s face as he recognized Danny but it slowly melted away as his eyes went from Danny’s face to his right arm that was held in place with a makeshift splint and then down to his ankle where the bandage they’d wrapped around the bleeding wound was slowly turning scarlet.

“Beats me.” Sighed Danny lifting his hand to wipe the sweat away from his face but found that he was cuffed to the gurney. “Really?” he asked glancing over at Dale.

“Protocol, would you tell me what you and Gabriel were doing in the mess hall, and don’t say messing it up, I’ve heard that one to many times.” Grunted Dale.

Danny rolled his shoulders. He wanted to keep his lies as close to the truth as possible, that way it was easier to make them sound believable but telling the officer that he’d walked out of his cell and started a fight with Gab because the guy was possessed was the dumbest thing he could do right now. “Why do you think we messed up the mess?” he asked instead trying to by himself some time to think.

“So you did it.” Said Dale a look of triumph on his face.

“I asked why you think we did it, I never said that it was us.” Retorted Danny.

“We found the two of you bleeding on the floor of the mess hall Danny, Gabriel was trying to strangle you.” Sighed Dale looking as tired as Danny felt.

“You never watched the security cameras then, if you had you’d seen we had nothing to do with this.” Closing his eyes Danny took another calming breath but his thought came back to Bjorn, the bestial look of the yeti, the pain in his face and the anger lurking in the eyes. He should have been able to save him, not… not. Danny gritted his teeth’s he had destroyed Bjorn when he should have saved him.

Dale grunted. “We had technical difficulties, the whole security system had to be rebooted. But the doors were all bolted and could only be opened manually by a guard.”

‘Tucker’ thought Danny biting his lower lip trying to think of his friends and how having defeated the ghost haunting the prison he could now get back to Amity Park. Drawing in a shaking breath Danny raised his eyes to look up at Dale. The man was just as likely to help him as anyone else were, but it never hurt to ask right. “Do me a favor would you.” The man gave him a look that told Danny he wasn’t going to do anything he asked. “Call Agent Prentiss for me.” He sighed closing his eyes and concentrating on his breathing blocking out every thought from his mind. He didn’t need to remember what he had done, he already hated himself for doing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright the chapter is just long enough for once for me to break it here before anything else happens. I hope you are enjoying things so far there will be more characters from Ghost Crime coming back in this story and maybe more in the future.


	37. Chapter 37

“You have got to be kidding me.” Shouted the doctor.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Grumbled Danny pushing himself up too sit a bit straighter on the bed they’d placed him on. The ER was noisy and he’d gotten placed in a booth beside Gab who was making his voice heard from the other side of a curtain.

“When did you get yourself arrested? And what the hell are you doing in Chicago do your parents know where you are?” Asked Dr Andrews snapping his fingers at a nurse. “Get the shirt.”

“I’m fine.” Sighed Danny as the nurse began cutting away at his t-shirt. There was a tight feeling on his back where Bjorn’s claws had dug in.

Andrews gave him the now familiar look that told Danny he didn’t believe him, hell Danny didn’t even believe himself he felt worse than he had the other night after Gab froze him. Andrews turned to officer Dale. “Get the cuffs of him, he won’t run.”

The old man crossed his arms over his chest. “We just caught this boy trying to run away, I’m not un-cuffing him.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh Andrews took a step towards Dale. “Let me rephrase that, He can’t run, his left leg is injured and he knows better than to run away from help.” The shouting on the other side of the curtains rose and something metallic fell to the floor.

People turned their heads in the direction of the noise and a sudden scream was heard before Gab pushed away the curtains. His eyes meet Danny’s and he let out a cry before flinging himself at Danny a small and very sharp knife in his right hand. He stabbed at Dany who lifted his right hand taking the knife between his long- and ring-finger drawing blood. “Scumbag!” snarled Gab pressing the knife towards Danny’s chest with all his weight behind him. “Give it to me, give him back.”

Danny had had enough of Gab. Gripping his left arm with his free hand Danny twisted his hips and before Gabe knew it Danny had him pinned on the bed, his unbroken arm in an arm-lock face pressed down to the mattress by Danny’s legs. “I can’t give him back he’s gone. Do you hear me, gone!” growled Danny back at the other teen.

People moved around them, their voices raised as security personal came in to the ER. Gab screamed. “NO! You took him I saw you! You have everything give it to me, Give back what you stole!” He tried to wriggle out of Danny’s hold but he was to weak.

“I can’t you idiot.” Danny’s eyes burnt with tears. “You don’t deserve it, you could do something good with the power he gave you, instead you only hurt people.”

“People that hurt me, People who laid their hands on me, people like you.” Danny felt a flash of cold coming from Gab and he suddenly had to fight to keep the other down.

“I had no choice, but you did and you chose to hurt people instead of saving them.” Growled Danny wondering how long he could hold the other down. “Do you want to kill yourself? cus that’s the only way you’ll ever have that kind of power again.”

“I rather be dead. I rather be powerful like him instead of this… this weak tool!” People were moving around them trying to talk to them but for Danny and Gab their conversation was the only one important. They didn’t see the two well-dressed people come in through the outside door.

“You don’t want that. Death is not the answer, it never is. Trust me I should know.” Danny lowered his voice in to a more normal tone.

“Because you already are? Because you stole their power, You are nothing but a hypocrite Fenton, you are not Great you are pathetic… and lonely…weak…stupid.” Gab trailed of and Danny noticed that he wasn’t trying to pull out of his grip any more.

“You are right, I’m just an accident, but at least I know what’s right. At least I have remorse.” The tears rolled down Danny’s cheeks.

“You can let go of him now.” Said the doctor who’d been trying to pull Gab away with help from a heavy built nurse. Danny’s arms and legs were shaking as he let go of Gab letting the others take his limp body from his hold and lift him back on to the bed he’d been on earlier, the officer guarding him put the cuff back around his left wrist.

Rolling over on his left side Danny put his back towards Gab pressing his uninjured hand to his mouth as the tears kept falling. He had done the right thing separating Gab from Bjorn, he had protected him, saved him, he’d destroyed Bjorn for Gab’s sake. And yet he felt like he’d destroyed Gab and not the monster inside of him. Bjorn hadn’t been evil, he’d been a scientist, a peaceful yeti, his ally and friend. Danny’s stomach twisted in to knots and he was happy he hadn’t eaten anything that day or he might have thrown up.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder and Danny closed his eyes harder, his shoulders shaking with his sobs. He wasn’t a hero, he was just as much a monster as Bjorn had become. No he was even worse, he had destroyed an innocent person to get to the yeti thinking he was right all the while. He’d failed Frostbite, the man he respected and looked up to. He had failed, he’d failed to do the only thing he thought he was good at.

Maybe this was what he was good at. Destroying people’s lives, bringing suffering and pain to the people around him, hurting his friends and family just by li-. Pain cut through Danny’s train of thought and he screamed jerking his injured hand out of the vice grip that was holding it. “Are you insane!” Shouted Andrews elbowing the silver-haired man out of the way.

The man moved to loom over Danny’s head. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself Daniel.” Growled Vlad putting a gentle hand under Danny’s jaw making him look up at him. “Pull yourself together, this is not the place for one of your breakdowns.”

Danny snarled and swung his left hand at Vlad, the broken cuff still dangling from his wrist. The old man caught Danny’s fist in his free hand. “That’s the boy I know.” He smiled. “Careful with the scary eyes there you wouldn’t want to be called a freak now would you.”

Danny spat in the man’s face and he let go of him. “Go to hell.” He growled showing his teeth’s.

Vlad wiped the spit of his face in a calm manner and smirked down at Danny. “Been there done that, sent you a postcard.”

“Fuck off you arsehole.” Growled Danny pulling back the power that had crept in to his eyes making them glow. The man stepped away from the bed letting a nurse take his place. “What are you doing here anyways?” Asked Danny his voice breaking as Andrews pressed his fingers along the broken right hand.

“Does that hurt?” Asked Andrews gently moving to Danny’s fingers.

Turning his head to see what the man was doing Danny got a good look of his right hand. It was a blood red and swollen to three times its normal size, the fingers were in a stiff crocked shape and Danny could see something poking at his skin from the inside of his hand. ‘Bones’ his brain told him and he tried to move the fingers getting a sort of twitching motion that felt like someone was driving a knife through his hand and up his wrist.

His face paled and Danny turned away from the ruined reality of his hand. “I take that as a yes. We are going to need an x-ray for this. You hurting somewhere else except for the obvious, left ankle and back?”

Danny was breathing faster and instead of wasting his breath on talking he shook his head. Vlad snorted and Danny glared at him. “You are a terrible lire Daniel. Tell the man where you are hurt or you’ll have me as your doctor instead.”

“Yeah and wake up cuffed to your bed again, no thanks.” Hissed Danny. He was in too much pain, he wanted it to stop so he could sleep.

“Don’t be silly, you would have hurt yourself if I didn’t.” Sighed Vlad tapping his left arm before he pushed past the nurse and put a hand on Danny’s chest. The feeling was something new and yet very familiar as warmth spread from the point of contact. “Relax Daniel and tell us where you are hurt.” Danny could feel his core vibrate in his chest.

Vlad was slowly tapping his index finger against Danny’s chest and Danny breathed to the rhythm, his shoulders shaking as he drew in a breathe and pain leaving him as he breathed out. “Not hurt, just aces.” He blinked up at Vlad and stared at him feeling increasingly tired. “What are you doing here?” he asked again shivering as the warmth spread through his back.

“He’s here with your release-paper.” Said a welcomed woman’s voice and Danny lifted his head to see agent Prentiss standing at the foot of the bed beside Dale. “We were on our way to get you out when we past the ambulances.”

“Why?” asked Danny the fog of sleep making his brain slow and he pushed Vlad’s hand away from his chest.

“Baxter talked to Amity Park PD earlier today.” Said Prentiss and something clicked in Danny’s brain.

Smiling Danny felt like a weight was being lifted of his chest. “He remembered what happened.” He sighed and tears started filling his eyes again.

“He did. You did not hurt him Danny.” Hearing those words Danny closed his eyes and covered his face with his free arm. He hadn’t hurt Dash, he hadn’t hurt the idiot.

“No offence, but we need to get Danny up to imaging. Officer the cuff please.” Said Andrews. Danny flicked his wrist and got the cuff to slip down in to his palm before throwing it to Dale who caught it with a look of surprise on his face. Andrews and the nurses wheeled Danny away before the officer could say anything but Danny saw the smile on Prentiss lips.

“Show off.” Huffed Vlad who for some reason was following along.

“Why are you still here fruitloop?” Asked Danny drying the tears from his cheeks.

Vlad smiled at him as they crowded in to a large elevator. “I’m standing in for your parents till we get you back to Amity Park. You should be grateful who knows what these butchers would do to you otherwise.” Andrews huffed.

“Don’t take it personal.” Sighed Danny glancing at his least favorite doctor. “He can’t help but insult everyone he meets.” Andrews gave him a raised eyebrow. “Still not an answer to why you would bring the release papers, couldn’t they just send them to Prentiss.”

 Leaning against the elevator wall as it started to rise Vlad smiled. “Your girlfriend asked me to get the police at home to hurry up. Good thing I did or you would be a crying mess my boy. I honestly thought you were made of stronger stuff, breaking down over some miserable nutcase isn’t like you.” The other adults in the elevator stared at Vlad. They didn’t know what he was talking about but Danny did.

“I’m not coldhearted like you Vlad even if my life would be easier if I was.” Sighed Danny wondering why Sam had pressured Vlad to get him out.

“Some might argue that you are more coldhearted my boy.” Mused Vlad.

Rolling his eyes Danny pushed himself to sit up, growling at anyone who tried to stop him, laying down made him sleepy and groggy. The elevator spun and Danny found Andrews supporting him. “Danny you aren’t in pain right now because we gave you morphine. I don’t recommend you move around too much.”

“Morphine don’t make you sleep and who said I needed it?” Grumbled Danny rubbing at his eyes, he wanted to sleep and at the same time he wanted to keep an eye on what was happening around him.

“You are exhausted Daniel and as long as you are in pain you don’t think straight.” Sighed Vlad getting a glare from Andrews. Vlad gave him that imperious raised eyebrow only he could pull off. “Layback Daniel, you need rest. Aren’t I right Doctor Andrews?”

Andrews wrinkled his nose. “Yes and you can stop agitating him Mr Master.” He managed to make the word sound like an insult that somehow seemed to was of Vlad.

Danny let out a short laugh. He knew why Vlad had said the things he did, why he’d made him angry. Knowing the man, meant that he knew Vlad would do what he thought was best for Danny. By making him angry Vlad had stopped him from hating and beating himself up, he’d stopped Danny from spiraling down in to a miserable dark hole. He could actually believe that Vlad cared for him in his own twisted way.

The elevator stopped and the door opened. Danny laid back on the bed, “Piss of Fuitloop.” Sighed Danny with no real conviction in his voice.


	38. Chapter 38

Bored was not a strong enough word to describe how tired he was of watching daytime drama and having nurses drop in to check ont him. Sure Dash had some fun flirting with the nurses but that was just short amusements. It didn’t help that his speech was slurred making him sound stupid, thou being injured sure did.

Like most time Dash fell asleep when nothing happened and they were playing a rerun of Friends on the tv. One moment he closed his eyes to the drama and the next a black haired persona was covering the tv as he channeled zapped stopping on a sci-fi channel. “I was watching that.” Grumbled Dash at the skinny guy sitting at the foot of his bed.

Tossing the remote on the table Danny turned to face Dash, the twat looked just as bad as Dash felt, half healed bruises colored his left eye and scratches marked his cheek and his right arm was in a sling. “Damn did you get the number of the truck that hit you?” asked Dash.

Danny smiled and his eyes twinkled. ”Ice-cream truck. You should see the driver.”  Said Danny throwing one of Dash’s grapes in to the air and catching it in his mouth. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

Dash pushed himself up to sit a bit straighter. “Where have you been? People wouldn’t tell me anything.” Asked Dash watching as Danny tossed another grape in to the air catching it in his mouth. “You know those are mine.”

“I know.” Grinned Danny those sharp teeth’s flashing, there was always something scary about the way he smiled. “Had a run in with the police. Heard you got some broken ribs.”

Frowning Dash stared at Danny who looked away. “Dud you were the one who told me my ribs were broken.” Danny suddenly got a funny look on his face, he was squirming like Dash did when his Dad put him on the spot.

Rubbing at his temple Danny grimaced. “To be honest Dash I have no idea what happened.” Dash gave Danny a confused look. Sighing Danny combed back his hair with his fingers. “I don’t remember what happened in the classroom, not after we decided to do homework at your place.”

“Wait did people think you did this to me?” Asked Dash remembering his father’s words. Danny threw a grape in the air and caught it looking like he didn’t care but Dash knew the twat, he recognized the nervous twitch of his right foot, just like he would tap it when prepared for Dash to come at him after class. “People thought you.” Dash laughed and stopped as pain built up in his head. “They thought you beat me, you must be kidding.”

Danny’s eyes turned on Dash and the look in his eyes were like staring in to darkness. He never got to speak before the door to the hospital room opened and his father walked in. “Hey boy I got the game on…” Mr Baxter stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell on Danny who had suddenly gone very still. “The fuck are you doing here?” Growled Mr Baxter taking a step forwards.

Quicker than Dash had seen him move before Danny jumped of the bed backing away from Dash’s father a weary look in his eyes. “Just talking, is that a crime?” Said Danny none of his obvious fear could be heard in his voice.

“Talking more like threatening, what fool let you out of jail?” Mr Baxter took another step towards Danny who tilted his head to the side and an odd smile spread across his lips.

“Dad please just let it go will you.” Sighed Dash reaching for his father but stopped himself as pain flared up in his chest.

“Stay quiet boy, this wimp is going now or I’ll-“

“You’ll what Hubert. Start another fight and get yourself thrown out again.” Said a sharp woman from the door and Dash relaxed seeing his mom standing in the open door.

“What are you doing here woman don’t you have work to get back to?” Asked Mr Baxter turning towards the tall woman. “or did they sack you from that coffee shop you work at?”

Mrs Baxter raised her chin and her eyes fell on Dash halfway out of his bed. “This is my lunch break, don’t you have a lunch meeting or have you grown a heart and canceled your lunch plans which as I recall couldn’t even be postponed when your wife was giving birth to your son.” She snapped a finger at Dash. “Get back in bed Dash.” Her eyes fell on Danny who Dash noticed was swaying on his feet. “Sit down Daniel before you fall down.”

Dash sat cross-legged on the bed watching as his father’s face turned red. “What do you care for that boy, he tried to kill our son and should be in jail.” Growled Mr Baxter.

“And so should you with the way you are behaving, now get out before I call security. They are all keen on getting you out after your outbreak yesterday.” Said Dash mom.

“If that’s how you want it woman.” He growled picking up his bag and turning to Dash. “We’ll watch the game when you are home.” He stated taking up his jacket and leaving the hospital room slamming the door closed behind him.

“Why I ever married that man is beyond me.” Sighed the woman and Danny started giggling. Both Dash and his mother stared at Danny who was still swaying on his feet a hand covering his mouth as he kept giggled. “You alright dear?” Asked Dash’s mom.

Shaking his head Danny forced himself to stop giggling as he sat back down on the foot of Dash bed. “It’s just the painkillers they got me on.” He picked up the grapes he’d been eating and tossed one in the air catching it in his mouth.

Rolling his eyes Dash kicked Danny lightly on the hip only instead of him turning to Dash in annoyance, Danny jumped with a yelp of pain. “What?” He asked rubbing the spot Dash had just kicked.

“What did dad mean when he said you should be in jail?” asked Dash taking the rest of his grapes from where they lay on the blanket. His mother sat down in the chair beside him her eyes on Danny who Dash noticed was rolling a grape between his left-hand fingers his eyes distance.

“I told you I don’t remember what happened in that classroom and you were unconscious so the police had to go on the evidence.” Dash stared at Danny and it took him a moment to understand what he was saying. Smiling Danny popped the grape in his mouth. “So I got sent to jail. Tell you the truth the food there made me miss Sam’s grass mud sandwiches.” He giggled.

“Have you tasted hospital food yet, I don’t think they know where the spice cabinet is.” Smiled Dash finding Danny’s giggling fits more amusing than TV-drama.

Dash’s mother on the other hand didn’t find the boy’s giggling funny. “Daniel.” She said getting him to stop tittering. “What are you doing here?” Danny gave her that look like she was stupid and couldn’t see the obvious. “I ran in to your mother down stairs. She’s looking for you, said something about a surgery.”

The change to Danny’s demeanor wasn’t subtle, he stopped smiling and his eyes grew cold. “Not my problem.” He grumbled throwing another grape in to the air.

Sighing Dash’s mom took out her phone. “What happened to your hand?” She asked and Danny missed the grape. He looked at her suspiciously before he shook his head, picked up the grape and plopped it in to his mouth.

“You figure we’ll get out of homework?” he asked Dash who shrugged.

“I wish.” Scuffed Dash throwing a grape in the air trying to catch it but missed. “My teammates were here yesterday saying Lancer let me off this week but I have to start handing in homework next week. He said I had too low grades to get away with missing much schoolwork.”

Danny winced. “You want my help, bet I have as much work as you to catch up on.” Dash shrugged and threw a grape at Danny who caught it in his mouth.

“Sure, can start now have like a weeks’ worth already.” Dash threw another grape at Danny who like a dog caught it.

“You have to write thou.” He lifted his right hand a bit and winced.

“We’ll make a good team then, you the brains.” He poked the bandages on his head. “And me the hands. Be careful or I might make a mistake.” Danny kicked Dash lightly and was once more giggling.

His giggling stopped when the door opened and anger made his lip curled up before he’d even looked at who’d opened it. “Daniel!” Said his mother stepping in to the room wearing that blue hazmat suit she always wore. “What are you doing here, we’ve been looking for you.”

“Didn’t know you cared so much.” Grumbled Danny throwing a grape in the air and catching it in his mouth never looking in his mother’s direction. 

“Don’t say that Danny.” Dash could have sworn that he saw green in Danny’s eyes. “Come on your surgery is scheduled to start in half an hour, the surging wanted to go over it with us beforehand.”

Danny left the grapes on the table before he jumped of the bed hissing as he put weight on his left leg. “Why do you need me there, I have nothing to say anyways.” He limped up to her and stopped glancing back at Dash. “See you later.” He smiled before that scary dead look returned to his face and he walked past his mom and out the room.

Maddie sighed. “Thanks for finding him Laura.” She said to Dash’s mom before turning to follow her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell you how many times i re-wrote this chapter, but personaly I think this is one of the better ones in this story. Also I made the art long before I wrote the chapter.  
> I hope you've enoyd this story, it's almost at the end and funnily enough it's almost a year since I started writing this story.


	39. Chapter 39

The cold wind of the Far Frozen blew through Frostbites fur, his left arm had grown back and most of the injuries had healed. The leader of the yeti’s was sitting on a great glacier beside the one they called The Great One. Thou looking at him now no one would call him great, he looked like a child. Danny had told Frostbite of his fight with Björn and how he had destroyed the other ghost’s core.

It had made Frostbite sad to hear of his friends death but after the battle against Björn and The Ripper he couldn’t say he hadn’t expected it. Yet the boy looked more troubled by Björn’s death than Frostbite was. “This might not come as any comfort Ghost Child, but you did the right thing.” It didn’t comfort Danny who was sitting with his knees up to his chest and arm wrapped around himself.

Sighing Frostbite put a hand around Danny’s shoulders. “I understand that you don’t feel like what you did was right. But thinking yourself the monster isn’t right.” Danny hunched his shoulders. Smiling Frostbite shook him lightly. “I know that that’s what you are thinking Child.”

“How am I not the monster, I’m both human and ghost. Humans tortures and destroys ghosts. Ghosts haunts and tortures humans.” He wiped at his face where tears were leaving streaks down his already read cheeks. “The humans hates me as a monster, they see me as the reason ghosts attack Amity park.”

Frostbite hummed, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “You weren’t the reason the ghost started coming, that was the portal.” Danny drew a shaking breath. “But I can’t lie. You are the reason the keep coming. But it’s more for the chance to take you down than it is for the humans.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” he asked rubbing at his eyes.

Laughing deeply Frostbite shook Danny. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel better, I was telling you the truth.” Sighing Frostbite looked up in to the turquois sky. “Tell me are you the same person who walked in to that ghost portal three years ago?”

Danny shrugged. “No, I didn’t believe in ghost till I became one myself. I wanted to be an astronaut.” He let out a cold breath.

“Are you the same person who defeated Pariah Dark?” Asked Frostbite.

Shaking his head Danny drew in a slow breath. “No back then I believed I could do everything on my own.” He breathed out.

“Are you the same person today as you were a week ago.” Danny shook his head. “That Ghost child is a gift. Ghosts can never change, we have the same obsessions as the day we came to be and the same personality. We can never change, but you can. You can grow and change.” He ruffled the boys hair. “It’s not that halfas like you have more power at your disposal that makes you great. It is that you are still alive and can still change that makes you Great.”

Turning his head Danny’s soft green eyes meet Frostbites. “Life is traumatic, death is equally so, you learn from your experiences and grow. I know you feel bad today but it won’t be so bad in a few years.” Danny rested his head on his knees. “Go back to your world, the world of the dead isn’t the place for you right now.”

Sighing Danny rubbed at his face and rose, standing as tall as the sitting Frostbite. “You are always welcome here, even if it is just to talk.”

 

Even if it’s just to talk, thought Danny opening his eyes and staring up in to the metallic ceiling the sterile smell stinging in his nose mixing with that of blood and something sweet he couldn’t place his finger on. Swallowing, his mouth dry Danny turned his eyes to his right.

Three persons in surgical gowns, wearing masks and hats that covered everything except for their eyes were standing around his outstretched right hand. Scissor like objects were being removed and Danny shivered, his eyes refusing to look at what they were doing to his hand. Closing them hard Danny turned his face away from the surgery. He would have wanted to be awake for it but after he’d had a panic attack they’d given him a light sedative that ended up knocking him out.

Opening his eyes Danny let his eyes roam, his gaze landing on monitors and other medical equipment’s until finally finding the gray eyes of Dr Andrews. The man had insisted on coming along to Amity Park when Danny refused to let him do anything. Vlad had actually helped convince people that Danny going home was the best thing for him. Thou Danny suspected it had just been a ploy to keep an eye on him and have more control over what was happening.

Andrews wasn’t wearing the surgical gowns like the others making him look a lot more friendly in the light blue scrubs and mask. He tilted his head to the side and moved a hand in front of him. Danny recognized the sign. “It’s alright.” Was the man saying. Drawing in a deep breath Danny turned to stare up in to the ceiling.

The surgeon in charge didn’t waste any time finishing his work and closing the incisions he’d made to the back of Danny’s long-finger and thumb, as well as the back of his hand and wrist. “Alright let’s wrap this up and get the kid to post-op.” He said rising from the stool he’d been sitting on and pushing the glasses of his face. His eyes landed on Danny’s and the man jumped. “Bloody hell, he’s awake.” Swore the man.

“He’s been awake for the last part of the surgery.” Said Andrews giving Danny a smile just visible under his mask.

Turning his head Danny watched as his hand and wrist was wrapped in white bandages and a brace fitted on to his hand covering most of his fingers and his wrist. “Can I sit up?” he asked when they were finished.

“Sure.” Said the narcotic nurse who’d been sitting beside Danny’s head all the time. She and Andrews helped him up making sure that he kept his right hand to his chest. The room was tilting pleasantly and Danny breathed deeply waiting for the throbbing headache to tone down a bit. Visiting Frostbite during his surgery might not have been the smartest move but he hadn’t wanted to delay telling him what had happened.

The brought him out of the OR in a wheelchair, not trusting him to walk even if Danny had shown before the surgery that he could go wherever he wanted without anyone’s help. He held his broken hand close to his chest letting the ice from his core flow through it counteracting the hot feeling in it. He kept his eyes on his sounding not trusting any of his enemies not to attack when he was weakened even if Valeri was keeping them in check. Every sudden movement made him twitch, he almost jumped out of his skin when a thick binder was slapped down on a counter and forced himself to keep breathing.

Post-op was a large room with curtains hiding the occupants of the beds. Andrews pulled away the ones hiding Danny’s and two teenagers looked up from their poker game. “What the hell are you two doing here?” he asked but Danny relaxed at the sight of his two best friends.

“What does it look like?” asked Sam putting down her cards showing a straight flush. “We are here for Danny.”

Tucker put down his cards having two pairs. “Nice to see you again man, did you get the license plate of the ice-truck that his you?” He smiled bumping fists with Danny.

“No got the truck and driver.” Said Danny getting out of the wheelchair and sitting down on the bed beside Sam who made room for him. “You didn’t have to come by, we could have meet up tomorrow.”

“Sure, we could have done that, but I figured you’d want to be with your friends.” She handed the cards to Tucker who started mixing them in to the deck again.

Feeling a smile tug at the corners of his mouth Danny scratched the back of his head, it sometimes amazed him how well his friends knew him. “Here. I figure you’d be hungry.” Said Sam handing Danny a Tupperware box. Using his knees to hold the box Danny opened the lid with some difficulties seeing as the nurse was fiddling with the IV connected to his left arm. “Freshly picked from my greenhouse, Tucker though brining you a Nasty burger was a good idea, but I think that wouldn’t be allowed.”

Inside the box Sam had put peeled orange slices, apples, pears, grapes and pineapple and separated the fruit from the carrots, cucumbers, fresh peas and radishes she’d cut in to eatable bits. “You are right on that point, Miss Manson.” Said Andrews looking over Danny’s shoulder at the content of the Tupperware. Danny glared up at the man. “Eat, we are more against eating before surgery than after.”

Danny took a carrot and bit in to it. Somehow Sam’s homegrown greens always tasted more than the ones his mom bought in stores. “That is all well but I will have to ask you two to leave. There is no visitors allowed in here.” Said the nurse.

The three teenagers ignored her. “You want to join in on the game?” asked Tucker handing out the cards. Nodding Danny whipped his hand on his pants and picked up the cards.

The nurse sighed and was about to start her argument again when Andrews stepped in. “Could I have a word.” He asked nodding for them to steep out. The nurse gave the three teenagers a dark glare before following him out.

His friends turned to Danny who tilted his head slightly listening in to the conversation. “It is hospital rules, only family is allowed, if you weren’t a doctor and Mrs Fenton hadn’t agreed to it you wouldn’t even be allowed in here.” Said the nurse. Danny put the cards upside down on the bed in front of him.

“I understand that, but I think for Daniel’s sake it’s better for him to be with his friends.” The man paused. “He is angry with me and his mother, for him to socialize with his friends the few hours he’s here is going to go a long way to lighten his mood.”

The nurse was quiet for a moment as the three changed cards. “One hour, but the boy needs rest, if they get to noisy they are out.” Tucker handed out the new cards and Danny looked at his putting them down with the others taking a cucumber from his lunch box.

“Understood, thank you.” Said Andrews and a moment later he came back, in time to see Sam win another game with four ace’s. “Where’s Mrs Fenton?” he asked, the two teenagers eyes on Danny who poked at the fruits in his box.

“She’s in the cafeteria getting something to eat. We said we’d stay with Danny if he returned before she. Thou I don’t think she’d expected him to be awake. You what refused to sleep even through surgery.” Tucker shivered. “Just thinking about it gives me the creeps.”

Danny let out a short laugh that made both Sam and Tucker smile. “No they knocked me out.” He shivered at the thought of his hand on a table gleaming metal instruments sticking in to his hand. Bending over Danny pressed his broken hand closer to his chest ignoring the stabs of pain shooting up his arm. Everything was to real, he’d been telling himself that it was just a bad dream, that nothing bad would happen, but in the end it had.

“Hey man I didn’t mean to… I was just…” Tucker fell quiet.

Sam put her hand on his left. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to, just feeling her hand around his was a comfort. It took Danny a couple of shaking breaths before he lifted his head, squeezing Sam’s hand lightly. “It’s alright. Let’s get back to the game.” He said and their conversation topic changed. They talked about what Danny had missed when he was gone.

Andrews stood in the curtains opening watching the three teens act their age for once. He felt Maddie’s present behind him. She was a bit shorter than Andrews and used him as a shield as she watched her son smile and talk to his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually never planned this chapter, it was supposed to be the previous chapter with Dash and then the epilog but this sort of made its way in because of Frostbite. I thank all you readers for following this story so far. Enjoy the ending.


	40. Epilog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck! It compleatly slipped my mind yesterday that I was supose to update this. I blame it on school and this being the final week. As well as the heat.

Danny pushed his head deeper in to the pillow as the alarm rang. He felt Sam move beside him and a moment later the alarm was turned off. Laying back down Sam poked his face. “You better leave.” She said.

Sighing Danny pulled the blanket over his shoulders. Sam moved closer under the blanket poking his rib instead making Danny jerk and open his eyes. He couldn’t help but smile seeing Sam smiling at him. “Morning.” He yawned.

“Morning sleepy head. Time to leave.” She said pulling the blanket from him. Danny shivered when the cold air in Sam’s bedroom hit him, it had been warm under the blanket.

“Five more minutes.” He mumbled rolling in to a ball.

“No now.” Said Sam pushing him out of her bed. He landed with a light thud on the thick carpet that covered the floor. “Mom will kill you if she finds you in here.”

Sighing Danny sat up, taking care so as not to move his right hand. “Alright I’m leaving.” He said getting up to his feet and walking over to the bed. He leaned over and placed a kiss on Sam’s lips which she responded to by grabbing the colure of his shirt and pulling him in to a longer kiss that made his lips burn when they separated.

“I’ll see you in school.” She said a wicked smile on her face as she rolled in to the blankets taking up the whole king sized bed for herself.

“Yeah, school.” Said Danny shaking his head before changing in to his ghost-form. He left Sam’s house and flew through the light morning rain letting it clear the sleep from his brain. This had been the second night he’d gotten without any nightmares. He had like the night before slept with Sam. The first night he’d come to her because of the nightmares and just feeling her warmth beside him as he slept had helped him rest. Danny honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had a good night sleep let alone two in a row.

Landing in his bedroom Danny stretch changing back. The room was clean, his mom had cleaned it while he was gone, she’d found his hobby project under his bed but nothing else. Had she lifted the books that was in one of the boxes under the bed she would have found his supply for when he needed to refill his first aid kit. Had she turned his desk drawers upside down she wound have found the false bottom and the map of the ghost zone, together with some USB-drives where Danny had saved data on ghosts he didn’t want his parents to find. Of course she would have had to tear down the walls to find the ecto-weapons he hid in them in case he ever needed to use them. Thou the only time he would be using an ecto-weapon would be when he couldn’t use his powers and then he wouldn’t be able to get to them. But it made him feel safe knowing that they were there.

He got out of the slacks and the t-shirt he’d slept in and opened his closet. All his clothes were cleaned and hanging where they were supposed to be. Which meant it took Danny a bit longer than necessary to find the clothes he wanted. He noticed that his mom obviously hadn’t thought much about the brown stains on some of the clothes or the tears some of them had gotten. It was difficult to put on his jeans using only his left hand but he managed in the end and stayed with shirts and a hoody without a sipper.

He couldn’t use his right hand. The x-ray had shown six breaks, the long-finger joint had been crushed and his wrist had been broken, the rest of the bones weren’t too bad, Clean breaks had Andrews said. But the surgeons had said that the nerves in his hand had been severely damaged, sliced off at some points and completely crushed at others. Danny hadn’t wanted the surgery that would repair the damage, he didn’t need it, if he just reset the bones would have healed. But his mother had listened to everyone except for him, she’d even heard Vlad out and he wanted the same thing as the butcher surgeons. Danny had said no to the surgery but she had overruled him.

Having gotten dressed Danny picked up his backpack from where it sat on the floor beside his desk. It had been emptied and he found his schoolbooks and materials on his desk. Shoving the things he would need for school in to his bag Danny could smell breakfast being made from downstairs. More exactly he could smell coffee.

Heaving his backpack on to his left shoulder he looked around for his phone, finding it on his desk together with some other things that had been taken from him when he was arrested. The phone was out of batteries but he pocketed it anyways thinking he could use Tuckers charger in school. He was about to leave when his eyes fell on a Fenton-thermos standing on the window ceil. Walking over he opened the window and picked it up.

A note taped to the front read. “Found this brat playing pilot at the airport this morning. I am not going to hunt any ghosts at night for the next two weeks. Please survive without me having to save your sorry ass.” It was signed with a V. Danny shook the thermos seeing the green light that told him it was occupied. Shrugging he put the thermos in his backpack and left his room.

Going down stairs he heard his mother talking with Andrews, they stopped the moment he walked through the kitchen door. “Morning sweetie.” Said his mom standing beside the stove frying bacon and scrambling eggs.

Ignoring her Danny dumped his backpack beside his chair and walked over to the coffee brewer getting his mug from the cabinet and filling it. “Morning Daniel.” Said Andrews sipping his coffee and reading on his iPad.

“Wasn’t you going to fly back to Chicago this morning?” asked Danny getting a bowl out of the cabinet and the cereals.

“Airports temporarily closed, something about the Red Huntress fighting a plane. Is this really news in this town?” he asked showing the news article on his iPad where a picture of Valeri in full armor was fighting a fighter plane that looked empty but if Danny squinted his eyes he saw the smiling Young Blood and a monkey piloting it.

“Yeah, should see when Phantom fights ghosts. There’s less likelihood of property damage.” His mom huffed and Danny walked past her putting his breakfast on the table.

“Phantom is a menace, he says he protects people acting like a hero but all he does is bring ghost to town and feeding on the people instead of the ghost he fights.” Said Maddie opening a cabinet and taking out three pill bottles she put them on the table in front of Danny.

“The towns got different views of Phantom, it like the weather some times.” Said Danny to Andrews ignoring his mom, it was easier that way he didn’t have to care what she was saying about his alter ego.

“I can’t imagen why people would live in a town where they could get attacked by monsters every day.” Sighed Andrews putting down his iPad. “Take one of each at every meal time, don’t skip any dose.” He said watching Danny fill his bowl with cereal and milk ignoring the pills, it was hard enough concentrating on doing everything with his left hand.

A low rumbled was heard from the cellar door that drew a concerned look from Andrews. “That’s just dad.” Said Danny recognizing the sound of his dad pushing himself across the lab on the old computer chair. A moment later he heard the man walk up the stairs.

Jack entered the kitchen stretching. “Is breakfast ready yet?” he asked kissing Maddie on the cheek.

“Almost.” She said stirring the eggs.

His eyes fell on Danny as he waked over to the coffee brewer. “Morning Dann-O, You are up early.” He got a large mug of coffee which he diluted with milk and sugar.

“School starts in half an hour.” Yawned Danny shoving cereals in to his mouth. “Where you up all night working again?” he asked but his dad didn’t let the question distract him this time.

“Isn’t it a bit early for you to go back to school. You had surgery two days ago?” he looked at Andrews for confirmation.

The man sighed. “I don’t recommend it.” Danny gave Andrews a blank look. He wasn’t going to stay home all day watching TV and avoid his mom, besides apart from a slight limp and his right hand he felt like normal, meaning a bit sore and bruised. “I don’t think you could stop him even if you tried.” He sighed.

Jack laughed siting down beside Danny giving him a fatherly clap on the shoulder. “You got that right. When my boy sets his mind on something nothing will stop him. You remember that concert every parent in Amity Park forbade their children to go to Mads.”

Turning around with the frying pan Maddie gave her husband an insistent look. “How could I forget, her song was literally about remembering her name whatever it was.” She shoved half the content of the pan on Jack’s plate and divided the rest between her and Andrews.

“Ember.” Muttered Danny remembering the last time he’d seen her. He put down his spoon no longer hungry.

“So now you are talking to me.” Said his mom looking at him. She was angry with him, most likely because of how he behaved, he knew they had raised him better but he couldn’t just act like everything was alright between them, it wasn’t.

“So did you stay up all night Dad?” he asked ignoring her knowing that he was hurting her more by not acknowledge her present in the room.

“No I got an early start when a friend at the airport told me of the ghost haunting the place. But that huntress got there before me. My friend let me take some of the parts from the crashed plane to see if I can find out anything new from it.” His Dad smiled and picked up the pill bottles opening them and putting a pill on the table in front of Danny for him. Child proof bottles was adult proof it said person could only use one hand. “I don’t think anything can be found out from the scraps but I got some material to work with. I’m thinking of adding an upgrade to the Spector-Speeder.”

“Sound’s interesting, You need any help?” Said Danny bringing his coffee mug to his lips and sipping the hot brew. His left hand was unsteady and shook almost spilling the coffee.

“You sure you want to?” asked Jack a broad smile on his face as he placed the last pill in front of Danny.

“Jack.” Began Maddie.

“What he wants to, I won’t hurt him to get some time with his old man over the weekend.” Argued his Dad putting eggs and bacon in his mouth.

Danny pushed at the pills picking out the antibiotics. “No. I guess not.” She looked at Danny and he could see how she wanted him to talk to her, to confide in her. He put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with his coffee returning to poking his cereal. He should eat, he needed food to keep his energy up, he just couldn’t make himself put the food in his mouth.

Andrews cleared his throat. “Take the rest of them Daniel.” He ordered. Lifting his chin Danny glared at the man.

Poking one of the pills with his spoon Danny kept his eyes on Andrews. “That’s Oxycodone, for pain.” He pointed at the second pill. “And that’s Prozac, an antidepressant that makes me tired. I don’t need them so I don’t take them.” He returned to poking his cereal. He’d read the description on the bottles the day before and what he didn’t understand he’d looked up on the internet. He wasn’t going to take some strange pill this time trusting that the person who told him to take them wasn’t planning something, even if that was his mom.

“You don’t get to decide that Daniel. Take the medicine they were prescribed to you for a reason.” Said Andrews hard eyes on Danny.

“I don’t see the reason for them. I’m not in pain so the painkiller is just wasted, I don’t have anxiety or depression so there’s no reason to drug me.” He didn’t say that the drugs wore off within four hours. “I don’t need them so you can just shove them somewhere the sun don’t shine for all I care.”

“DANNY!” Maddie had put her hands down and was glaring at him. “I don’t know what’s gotten in to you, but you don’t speak in that way to anyone, do you understand.” There was a knock at the door.

Instead of answering his mom Danny got up and walked over to the front door. Opening it he smiled. “Hi, come in.” he said stepping to the side letting agent Jareau walk in followed by Luke who was carrying a box.

“Morning are we disturbing?” Asked Jareau clearly having heard the outburst. Maddie got up from the table and walked out in to the living room.

“Morning. Can we help you.” She asked walking over to Danny putting a protective arm around him. Growling Danny shrugged his mother’s arm of him and took a step away from her.

Jareau collected herself fast. “Yes, this is my college SSI Luke Alvez. We just came by on our way back to Quantico to return these things to Daniel.” Luke lifted the box in Danny’s direction.

Walking around the women Danny took the box from Luke and carried it over to the stairs where he opened it. Inside was his clothes and the things he’d had to leave when they took him in to Raithshore, as well as an envelope with papers. “We’ve cleared the records with Raithsore, there’s nothing left there with your name on it.” Said Luke.

“Nice.” Hummed Danny picking up his shield bracelet putting it on around his left arm where it sat a bit uncomfortable, he was used to having it around his right wrist.

“Because Danny assisted us in our investigation we have also taken steps to prevent anything related to this incident from ever being marked on his record. In short we’ve whipped it clean.” Continued Jareau getting a surprised look from the adults. Danny reminded himself that Andrews hadn’t known he’d helped the FBI not even when Prentiss showed up at the hospital.

“That is very generous of you. I can’t help but wonder if you don’t have any ulterior motive with this.” Said Maddie watching Danny pick through the contents of the box.

“It’s our way to thank Danny for his help, seeing as this was an undercover operation we can’t do much in a way of repaying him.” Explained Jareau.

“I see.” Said Maddie her eyes following Danny as he walked back in to the kitchen getting his backpack from where he’d left it. “You wouldn’t mind never involving my son in any more of your investigations.” She asked in a low voice meant only for Jareau but heard by Danny as well.

Jareau sighed and looked Maddie straight in the eyes. “We would love nothing more than for us never to cross path with your son ever again. We will do our best never to involve him in any more investigations, believe me, I didn’t want Danny to do this job.”

Maddie nodded. “Thank you for bringing this to us.” She said pleasantly giving Danny a hard look as he bent down to put on his shoes.

“Yeah thanks.” He said stepping in to the shoes without tying them. “I’ll see you around.” He said to the two agents a crocked smile on his lips, before he left for school.

 

**“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their mind cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really how I had planned for it to end but I will go with this. Thank you all for staying with me through this long story. I never planned for this to be the longest story I’ve written so far, Life’s Trail was around 95 pages long and this is 150 pages so it’s a new record for me.  
> Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.


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